James 4:15 For that you ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

To really make the best decisions in our lives, we must be led.  In other words, God knows the future, and He promised in John 16:13 to show us things to come.  Since He has promised to do that, we need to position ourselves to hear, or be led.  The issue is that everything pertaining to our life is not written down.  We can all know the general will of God, but the specific will of God for our personal life must be revealed to each one of us.  It is like what it says in James 4:13-17, which has been very misunderstood and abused by many.  People use these verses to say that you never know when you will die; it is up to the Lord, for what is your life, even a vapor.  However, in context, the Lord is talking about His will for your life in these verses.  You should not decide where to live and what to do without getting God’s will on the matter for what He has purposed for your life.  Your life doesn’t last long in God’s scheme of things; it is a vapor, even if it is 80 to 120 years.  You ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will do this or that.”  It is not talking about living or dying; it is talking about obedience and doing the will of God for our personal life.  You must hear and obey.

How do you hear?  This is an area that I teach on quite a bit because it is so important when it comes to being in the will of God.  Hearing from God is a faith thing and not a “how long you have been doing this” thing.  It is, “Can you believe you can hear accurately?  Can you believe you can be led all day long every day?  Can you be led in all the decisions of your life?”  To answer yes, you must increase your faith in this area.  How do you increase your faith?  By hearing what the scriptures have to say about you being led.  In John 10:4-5, we are told we are God’s sheep, we hear His voice, and the voice of a stranger we will not follow.  We know His voice.  The Bible doesn’t say we have to learn His voice; the Word says we know it.  Confess that and believe it: “I know His voice and the voice of a stranger I will not follow.”  Romans 8:14 says we are led by the Spirit of God because we are sons of God.  When did you become a child of God?  The moment you were born again.  You don’t earn sonship.  Even to the churches in the book of Revelation, it says, “He who has an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit says to the church.”  You are part of the church, so you have an ear to hear.  

All of this is happening internally, in your spirit.  You and I should not be led by outward circumstances.  We are not led by the five senses.  We are only led by the promptings, or the inner knowing of the Spirit of God, as He bears witness with our spirit (Romans 8:16).  Even Jesus was led by the inner knowing in Mark 2:8; it says, “Jesus perceived.”  What is perception?   It is a knowing that is based on nothing from the outside.  A perception is knowing something based on what the Spirit of the Lord is saying.  It’s like when the Apostle Paul was on the ship and said, “I perceive this voyage will be with much damage, and we might die.”  There was nothing in the natural for him to base that on and that’s why the centurion believed the captain and not Paul (Acts 27:10-11).  Most people, even Christians, live based on what they can see or rationalize, but there is more available to you.  Locate the inner witness.  It is the same place you know you are born again (1 John 5:10).  Be sure to follow those perceptions.  It will keep you out of trouble.  It will lead you to victory and will help you make the best decisions of your life