Need Guidance?

What water filter should Pastor Hartwig buy? The Bible doesn't tell us which water filter to buy, but God does help guide us throughout life.

Psalm 32:8

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Lately I’ve been researching water filters. RO systems. Whole house systems. The difference between a salt free and a salt water softener. Have you ever had a project where the more research you do the less you realize you know? It it’d just be so easy if someone would make the decision for me. What system should I get?

There are definitely times in our life that we want some guidance. We want someone to be able to nudge us in the right direction so that we can make a wise decision, a good decision, a decision that will be beneficial. In Psalm 32 God says

I will make you wise. I will instruct you in the way that you should go. I will guide you, keeping my eye on you. (Psalm 32:8)

I will make you wise. I think we all want to make wise decisions. We don’t want to be foolish. We don’t want to make a decision that’s going to be harmful to us. So we want to be wise. God guides us, especially with regards to spiritual wisdom. The wisdom of the world, the wisdom that we have by nature, says that we need to be good to get to heaven. If I’m just good enough. If I make the right decisions and do the right things, then I’ll get to heaven. But we see something very different in reality. We see that very few times do we make those good decisions, in fact most of the time we’re inclined to make the wrong decision.

We want to have a little fun. We want to enjoy what this world has to offer. We’ll put ourselves above others so that we come first. We know that we’re not who we’re supposed to be. And that burden of guilt can be a tremendous weight for us. How do you deal with that? That too is an important decision.

God has revealed to us that he has taken away our sins. God has revealed that he has transferred all our guilt onto Jesus so that we can be righteous in his eyes. We can’t get to heaven by doing the right thing because we can’t do it. So God sent Jesus to do it for us.

If you believe in Jesus then you are wise. Then you have a way to atone for your guilt, for your sins to be forgiven. God wants you to be with him in heaven. And so he has given you his words so that you can be guided in the way of righteousness. Here [Psalm 32], David even tells us that God is watching over us.

God does guide our earthly decisions as well. As we live as his children, dearly loved and forgiven because of Jesus, God guides us how we are to carry out our earthly lives: in love for him and for one another. God doesn’t tell me what type of water filter I should get, but he does guide me in my budget. He does guide me and give me an intellect to research what the best product is. So he does guide my earthly decisions as well. May God grant you true wisdom so that you can know that in Jesus your sins are forgiven and may God’s word guide your earthly decisions as well. God’s peace be with you, amen.

Timothy Hartwig
Timothy Hartwig

Tim Hartwig is currently serving as President of the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary.

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