You might not have realized it, but you have a destiny. It is God’s unique purpose, His special plan for your life, and it is tailored just for you.

If you want to fulfill your God-given destiny, you will need to make wise choices all along the way. Whether you are seeking direction on where to go to school, which job to take, who to marry or where to live, nothing is more important than knowing God’s will. The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). It’s a promise!

Unfortunately, people sometimes stray from God’s will because they move too quickly, taking what they think is His will and running with it. The Bible tell us in 2 Corinthians 13:1, that every word should be established by two or three witnesses, so when it comes to being certain of God’s will, it is best to look for multiple confirmations.

When a ship heads into a harbor, there are buoys to guide it. The captain of the ship never fixes his gaze on just one of them. Instead, he lines up several buoys and follows the course they indicate until the ship is safely into the harbor. Likewise, God leads in a variety of ways, and each could be thought of as a buoy helping us stay on course. Let’s take a look at some of the ways God leads us to our destiny.

God Leads By His Word
The first and most important way God leads is by His Word. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). We need to be led by the written Word of God. You can be absolutely certain God will never lead you in a way that is contrary to what He says in the Bible. While this may seem obvious, it is something many people miss.

The Bible tells us what God does and doesn’t want us to do. When we read the scriptures, they should wake us up in areas where we are spiritually asleep. In fact, 1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us that all of the examples in God’s Word were written for our admonition. That word, “admonition,” literally means “to slap.” So, when we read what happened to people in the Bible, it should be like a gentle slap in the face that helps us see God’s will more clearly.

Through the years, I have ministered to several people who thought God told them to divorce and marry someone else even though the Bible clearly states that He hates divorce. The Bible says we should not commit adultery, but I have had people tell me they were sure God told them it was okay in their case. Still others said they were certain they were following God’s will, but the things they did were in direct opposition to scripture. They were deceived and fell into sin because they did not accept God’s Word as their standard.

Remember this: God never leads contrary to His Word.

God Leads By His Peace
There are many important decisions to be made in life that are not covered by a specific verse. For example, there are no verses that give you the name of the person you should marry or the address of the house you are supposed to buy. You won’t find scriptures that specify which college you should attend or where you should work either. In those types of situations, God will often lead you by giving you peace. Satan may be able to counterfeit some things, but he can never counterfeit the peace of God.

Colossians 3:15 says we should let God’s peace rule in our hearts. Just like an umpire, His peace will tell you whether you are “safe” in His will – or “out” of the will of God. When you are sincerely seeking God for guidance, He will sometimes lead by filling you with His supernatural peace. However, if God does not give you peace, it would be unwise to proceed.

God Leads By Desire
Another way God leads is by desire, but there is a big difference between the desires He gives and the desires of the flesh. You already know your flesh will try to make you do all sorts of things that are not right. Romans 7:23 affirms that the law of sin abides in our flesh; in other words, our bodies are crazy! If you do what your flesh dictates, you will almost always be headed for trouble.

Acts 7:23 is a great example of how God leads by desire. It says: “Now when he (Moses) was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.” In all the years before that time, Moses never once had the desire to go to the children of Israel. However, when God wanted him to go there, He placed the desire into his heart. Philippians 2:13 in the Translator’s New Testament says, “God Himself is at work in you inspiring you to want those things which please Him and to work for them.” Just like He led Moses, God will lead you by placing His desires into your heart.

I will never forget an experience that took place while Jeanie and I were missionaries in Mexico. We loved it there and loved what we were doing! I went to a conference in St. Louis, and while I was sitting in one of the sessions, God suddenly dropped the desire to leave the mission field into my heart. When I had walked into the meeting, leaving Mexico was the furthest thing from my mind. However, when I walked out, God’s new desire for us to go back to Michigan and pastor a church burned on the inside of me.

Maybe you have a longing to go to the mission field or reach out to teenagers, or maybe it is in your heart to help your neighbor who is fighting depression. Those types of things are actually desires that God has given you to help others. You will be blessed to see what happens as you identify and follow the desires God puts in your heart.

Other Ways God Leads
One of the other ways God leads is by giving you an inner witness. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” When you get saved, He gives you an inner witness telling you that you are His child. You don’t have to question it; you just “know” you are saved. The Holy Spirit doesn’t stop there. He continues bearing witness with you in other areas throughout your life.

Psalm 18:28 says God “enlightens your darkness.”This enlightening is not something you can learn or figure out; it is an inner witness God gives.

God also leads by speaking through the inward voice of your spirit. You probably know this voice as your conscience. The Apostle Paul mentioned this in Acts 23:1 when he said he lived by his conscience. In other words, the Holy Spirit told Paul’s spirit what was right and what was wrong. Likewise, as the Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit, your conscience will tell you what to do.

God often uses wise counsel to lead His people. The Bible says, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). One version says it this way: “If you walk with fools your life will begin to unravel!” God certainly does not want that to happen! Instead, He wants you to be humble enough to receive sound advice from godly people He brings your way.

God also leads by provision. I will never forget the single mother with two children who came to me saying, “God told me He is going to give me this $250,000 house.” She had a minimum wage job, no money down, and was being evicted from her current home. Nevertheless, she was absolutely certain she had heard God and refused to receive counsel on the subject. When someone else bought the house, she was crushed. You see, when God leads, He also provides. If the provision is not there, you should question whether it is really God’s will.

Finally…
Psalm 37:23 declares that: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” Be encouraged that you can fulfill your destiny by trusting in Him and charting your course based on how He leads, not on your own understanding. As you let Him be the One who orders your steps, you will fulfill your destiny!

(All scriptures are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise stated.)