I once opened a church website and a photo on the homepage caught my attention. It was of a good looking young girl of about ten years who seemed to be in deep contemplation during worship. My heart was so drawn to her and I needed to find out who this sweet child is that aroused deep emotions of love and compassion within me. Weeks later I physically went to that church and found the little fair lady. I then got the opportunity of talking to the person who had brought her to church. When I discovered the sad state of this dear cutie (call her Pesh), I was convinced more than ever before that God leads us by love. What you feel love or compassion for is very often the thing God wants you to be involved in or do.
Pesh's mother was working for a family whose bread-winner disappeared under mysterious circumstances leaving behind a wife and two very young children. They were then kicked out of their abode because they defaulted on rent payments. So Pesh's mom had to leave in search of another source of income. Thankfully, the woman of the house even in such dire circumstances decided that Pesh should stay as her third child, for she knew that this is the only place Pesh would be able to survive. And she was right because her mother finally got a job as a stay-in maid that pays her peanuts that cannot feed two mouths! Now you can see how actually the love I felt for a website picture was actually not mine, it was from God. And that compassionate love never left me as a guiding star until I got to discover the need I was to solve - doing what I can to help Pesh, a probably widowed wife, and two other very young children.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart (Psalms 37:4) is my commonly used Scripture for all who need to know the will of God. When we are consumed and captivated by the things of God, a time comes when what we desire in our innermost being is actually what God desires. Yes, by the witness of the Holy Spirit within us, we can get to a place when what God loves is what we love. Then we do not have to always live in confusion or wait for spectacular spiritual manifestations to know what God would want us to do in any situation. For that Counsellor in us who is One with the Father knows His mind and reveals it to us very often as a sense or feeling of love. Love is for sure the most excellent way of guidance and it never fails in getting us to the right destination.
After many years of experiencing the rewards of obeying the leading of Love, I have come to trust Him as the most sure guide. Many blessings have run me down simply because Love led me to love in a practical way someone who was in need. For instance, I once denied myself some luxuries in order to look after fatherless children that I met in a hospital; the same compassion I felt for Pesh is the same that filled my heart for them. Years down the road God told me, "You took care of other people's children, now I am going to take care of yours in a very special way . . ." That was the beginning of the interesting ways my two daughters Eden and Abigail got born.
As I write this, I am filled with excitement concerning this new "Pesh Project." I know that Love who has led me to her will provide the necessary means to accomplish it; and just being part of this supply chain will bring me blessings too numerous to count. The wise words of Mike Murdock are ringing so clearly in my ears: 1) What you make happen for others God will make happen for you, and 2) when God talks to you about a seed He has a harvest on His mind.
By the way, I am not writing about giving-and-receiving. I set out to tell you that it is not difficult to be led by God. Simply follow Love. As you delight in God, His desires will be your desires - then follow those Love-desires. That way, it's hard to miss God.
God bless you.