Baptist City Blog

Instructions to Live By

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Have you ever bought something without the owners manual and really didn’t know how to properly use the product? That can be very frustrating! Having the instructions on how to use a product you purchased is important to the enjoyment of the product.

Having instructions for life is also important to the enjoyment of your life. You often hear people say that the instruction manual was not included when a child was born. That is not true! God does give us an instruction manual on how we should live, and that instruction manual is the Word of God. God’s Word is the instructions by which we should live. If you live according to those instructions, then you will find the greatest enjoyment in life, but if you ignore those instructions you will find life will not be as enjoyable as God intended for it to be.

There are several things God says in these verses on how we should live. The first thing we learn is that the Scriptures should be of great value to us. Notice that He says, “And these words…shall be in thine heart:…” Without the Word of God in your heart, you will find that sin will be a regular part of your life. God says in Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” You will never find enjoyment in life without taking God’s Word to heart and making It important.

Second, you should be diligent to teach God’s Word to your family and others. The word “diligently” means to be careful or conscientious that you teach God’s Word correctly. Don’t be flippant about the Word of God. When it is time to read the Scriptures and to teach them, you should be careful not to add your preference, but make God’s Word the basis of what you teach.

Third, you should begin early with God’s Word. The importance of getting your instructions from God early in the morning cannot be stressed enough. I know you hear this often, but do you read God’s Word first thing every morning? Don’t wait till later in the day to get your instructions, but “when thou risest up” be sure to take time in God’s Word.

Fourth, incorporate God’s commandments in your daily life. God says in verse 8 that you are to “bind them…upon thy hand…” In other words, you should have daily reminders to serve the LORD. The Israelites would often tie a not on a garment to remind them of God’s commandments. I don’t know what you need to do, but God’s commandments need to be incorporated in your financial life, family, workplace, marriage, church and personal life. No matter what you do, you need to be sure to incorporate God’s commandments in every aspect of your life.

Christian, don’t take God’s commandments lightly. If you will live by them, you will find enjoyment to its fullest in your life.

The Devil Leaveth Him

Matthew 4:11

"Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."

If you do anything for the LORD, you can expect to get the Devil's attention. Jesus barely started His ministry on Earth, when the Devil came to tempt Him. You would think the Devil would know better than to tempt Jesus Christ, but he still tried to no avail. When the Devil was done, the Scriptures said that he left Jesus. Wow, that must have been a relief; however, when the Devil left Jesus, he didn't leave Him for long because you find later in the Scriptures that he came back.

Knowing the tactics of the Devil is just as important as knowing how to overcome his attacks. There is nothing fun about having to ward off the attacks of the Devil. The Devil doesn't play by the rules. He is a dirty player. He doesn't care how he gets at you, he is simply out to win. You must be careful in thinking that the Devil is done fighting you when he leaves you. He will come back, and he will come back with a vengeance. Let me give you some thoughts about this truth.

First, just because you won the battle doesn't mean the war is over. The Devil is a sore loser. If you won the battle over one temptation, you can always rest assured that he will come after you with another. One of the mistakes many Christians make is that they become overconfident when they win a battle over the Devil. Many times you will find that the Devil will allow you to win a battle just so he can defeat you with overconfidence. Christian, always remember when you win a battle, the Devil will not be happy about it, and you must beware that you are still in the battle.

Second, you must continue doing after the battle what you did to win the battle. Jesus did not stop His prayer life after He overcame the Devil's temptation; rather, He kept praying because He realized more battles would come. When the Devil leaves you, don't think that you can let up in your walk with God. You are going to need your walk with God to strengthen you for the next time you face the Devil.

Third, the absence of the Devil is temporary. Luke 4:13 says, "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season." Notice, it was not a permanent departure, but a temporary one. I point this out because you need to prepare yourself for the next battle with the Devil when he leaves you. You must always remember that everything the Devil does is temporary. The joy he offers from sin is temporary, and the reprieve from the battle is also temporary. When you win a battle, enjoy it for a very short moment, but remember the war is not over and the Devil will return.

Finally, let me encourage those in the battle with the Devil that he will leave you. When you are in the battle, it can become discouraging because you wonder if he is ever going to leave. I can testify that he will leave. You simply need to hang in there and realize that a reprieve is on the way. You may think that you can't take it, but the LORD will step in and will never allow the battle to become greater than you can bear.

The Devil is a fierce opponent. The greatest victory you will achieve in life is overcoming the Devil. But, when you overcome him, always remember he will bounce back. Be ready! Don't let him catch you off guard when he returns.

Towns Without Walls

Zechariah 2:4

"And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:"

A town without walls in Zechariah's day was clearly a sign of weakness. The restraint of walls kept the enemy from invading the town. The restraint of walls kept the wild animals from killing children. A town without walls was a weak town. As long as Jerusalem remained without walls, it was vulnerable to the attack of the enemy.

God told Zechariah to speak to the young man. This is interesting because God expected the young man to be the one to build the walls again. The young man had his whole future ahead of him, and God wanted the young man to be sure to build the walls in his lifetime. For what purpose? For the purpose of protecting those whom he loved and for the purpose of protecting his family. Without walls, the city would be destroyed and those within it. It was imperative for the young man to build walls for the town.

Christian, just as it was dangerous for this town to have no walls, it is just as dangerous for you not to build walls in your life. Your town is your life and those for whom you are responsible. Your town is your spouse and children. Without walls, your life and loved ones are at risk of being destroyed. Let me remind you that the Devil is out to destroy God's children. He will send everything your way to destroy their mind, attitude and life. It is very important that every person realize that they need to build walls in their lives so that they don't become a town without walls. Let me give you a few areas where you need to build walls in your life.

First, build walls of decency in your life. You should have guidelines by which you abide concerning your dress. You should realize that young ladies should always be decent. Every time we tell someone to dress decently, we are building the walls of decency. In my home, I have built walls of decency for my wife and daughter by setting guidelines on how they should dress. The walls of decency consist of making sure the necklines are not too low, the dress lines are not too high and the fitting is not too tight. These are walls of decency we have. We also built walls of decency where we are always decent in front of each other. Just because we are family does not give me a right to run around with my shirt off. There needs to be walls of decency in every home.

Second, build walls of friendship. Friends will ultimately determine what you or your children will become. The best guideline a person can have for themselves is to never have friends who would pull you away from what you have been taught. I try to make sure that every friend I have would not spiritually weaken me, but they would strengthen me. Furthermore, parents need to build walls of friendship for their children. Parents should decide with whom their children can associate. This may seem extreme, but if you don't keep walls for your children's friendship, they may meet one person who will destroy them. Parents should always determine the friendships of their children.

Finally, build walls of spirituality. I am talking about making sure you daily spend time walking with God in His Word and in prayer. This will help you build walls in your life. Likewise, you should build walls by attending every service of your church. Whenever you miss one service, you are missing one brick of truth that will help you build walls in your life.

Don't be a town without walls. Be sure to build the walls in your life, and be sure the walls you have built do not decay. If your walls are strong, then you will be able to withstand the attack of the enemy.

It Really Doesn't Matter

Zephaniah 1:12

"And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil."

One of the statements that really gets under my skin is when a person says, "I don't care."That seemed to be the attitude of the Jews. The verse above says that they were "settled on their lees." "Lees" is the sediment of the wine in the barrel. It was the refuse of the juice. If you have ever drank something and got to the bottom of the cup and saw some granules that settled at the bottom, that is the lees of that drink. These people we happy with the refuse of life. It really didn't matter that they could have it better in life, for they were settled on having what they had.

Even worse, the Scriptures tell us that in their heart they said, "The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil." In other words, they had the mentality that God didn't care that they lived this way. They had a mentality that God was far off and uninterested in their life. What a sad mentality! The attitude of settling for the "lees" of life caused them to have the mentality that God doesn't care. That mentality led to their destruction. Thinking that it really doesn't matter led them to the judgment of God.

I would like to remind the Jews that it really did matter. It mattered because there was another generation who watched their careless attitude. It mattered because lives were destroyed by sin. It mattered because the best in people was not being realized. It mattered because God is a God Who expects excellence. It really did matter because their attitude led to destruction. The Jews were better than having a careless attitude. It really did matter to God, and it should have mattered to them.

Sadly, I find many Christians who seem to have the same attitude, that attitude that it really doesn't matter. This is one of the most selfish attitudes a person can have. The reason is doesn't matter to many is because it doesn't personally affect them. As long as what goes on doesn't touch them, then they really don't care. Churches are filled with Christians who have a careless attitude about what happens in their church and society. Our nation is filled with people who really don't care about wicked policies that are destroying their nation. As long as they are happy and they can live and die without those policies affecting them, then they settle on their lees.

Let me remind you that we should never accept the lifestyle that lives at the bottom of the barrel. Whatever happened to the drive inside of people to better themselves and their surroundings? Where are those who take upon themselves the attitude that they will leave every place a better place?

Let me challenge you to become a person who doesn't accept the careless mentality that says, "It really doesn't matter." Let me challenge you to make everything matter in your life. Every action that you perform should matter. Every thing that God allows your hand to do should matter. Every project that you start should matter. Every person who is hurting should matter to you. Every soul that has an eternity should matter. Simply put, become a person who truly cares about everything you do. If you will make your life one that strives for excellence, then your life will be one in which everything truly matters.

The Power of a Good Attitude

Daniel 6:3

"Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm."

I'm not sure one could ever discover the total power that a good attitude has, but it is very evident that a good attitude will help a person tremendously. The greatest thing about your attitude is that you are ultimately the one who decides what kind of attitude you will have. Your attitude is not one that is inherited, though your attitude could resemble the good and bad attitudes of your parents, but your attitude is a determined choice.

You must understand that there is a difference between a person's attitude and their personality. Though both are tightly knit, there are great differences. Your personality is a combination of who you are; whereas, your attitude is determined by how you face life and circumstances. Your personality is a combination of your characteristics, but your attitude is your choice of outlook towards your circumstances. Though, in all actuality, both are your choice, your attitude will determine what people think about you more than anything else.

Daniel was promoted to a high political office because of his attitude. The verse above says about Daniel, "Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him;..." You will notice that it was Daniel's attitude that grabbed the king's attention. I'm quite confident that all the men the king looked at to fill a position were intellectual and capable men, but ultimately it was Daniel's attitude that caused him to obtain the coveted position. Yes, I'm sure character played a big role in the matter, and yes, God certainly worked in the king's heart in this matter, but Daniel's attitude is what made the difference.

Your attitude will make or break your potential in life. The power of a good attitude is tremendous. When everything else is equal, your attitude is the one thing that will separate you from everyone else. A good attitude will cause a person of lesser qualifications to be recognized over a person with better qualifications. You can try to overlook the importance of your attitude, but eventually it plays a big role in how far you go in life. If you have a bad attitude, you can expect to be overlooked for many positions that you desire. But, if you will work on having a good attitude, then you will be amazed how far your attitude will take you. I am not trying the minimize the importance of training, but you can have all the training in the world and have a bad attitude, and you will go nowhere.

Christian, your attitude is a choice. You choose how you face circumstances. You can have an attitude that complains and gripes about everything, or you can have a good attitude and see the good in every situation in life. A good attitude mainly comes by determining you will find the good in everything.

A good attitude can help turn a bad marriage into a good one. A good attitude will turn an average position into a great position. A good attitude will turn a gloomy day into a great day. A good attitude will turn a blah personality into a happy personality. Ultimately, it is your choice. I challenge you to constantly work on having a good attitude. Every morning when you get up, ask God to help you have a good attitude towards what you will face, then determine that no matter what you face you will have a good attitude. If you will have a good attitude, you will find that life is truly great and that God has truly blessed you in a great way.

The Cleansing Process

Ezekiel 36:33

"Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded."

Sin has a way of putting a grip on someone's life. When a person sins, they soon find out that sin has a firm grip that is hard to break. In fact, it is humanly impossible to completely free yourself from sin. It takes divine intervention for a person to be freed from sin's grip.

God shows us in this chapter the process a person must go through to be freed from sin's grip. You just don't get rid of sin overnight. You may immediately stop your sin, but being cleansed from your sin takes time. You must understand that the desire of sin is still there; therefore, you must be cleansed from sin if you want to be completely free from it. Let me show you the process it takes to be cleansed from sin.

First, you must realize that you cannot do the cleansing process yourself. Verse 29 says, "I will also save you from all your uncleannesses:..." Notice, God says He does the cleansing. God reinforces this claim in 1 John 1:9 when He says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Too many people have faith in an organization to cleanse them, when God is the only One Who can truly cleanse anyone from sin. Though I am not against addiction programs, an addiction program of itself cannot cleanse you from sin. It can certainly show you that God is the One Who can cleanse you, but without pointing you to God the program will fail. The greatest reason you must trust in God is because He can cleanse you from any sin.

Second, your heart must be changed. Verse 26 shows us that God must give you a new heart. In other words, your sentiments towards your sin must be changed to be cleansed from sin. If you stop your sin, but don't change your sentiment towards your sin, then you will eventually go back to it. You will notice in the same verse God talks about giving you a new spirit. God was simply saying that nobody can be completely cleansed from sin when the sin itself doesn't bother them. If you stop sin simply because you were told not to do it, then you will eventually go back to it. To be cleansed from sin, your attitude towards sin must change. You must realize that it is wrong. You must admit that it is more than a disease, but it is a sin.

Third, God must change your perception about what you have done. Verse 31 says, "Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations." Until you get to the point where what you have done is disgusting to you, then you have not been cleansed from sin. Many people don't look at what they've done as disgusting. When God cleanses you, you will find that you will hate the whole sin from the first participation in it to the time you gave it up.

Christian, everyone must fight sin because everyone is a sinner. Your only hope to be freed from your sin is to allow God to send you through the cleansing process. Let me encourage you to daily ask God to not only forgive you of your sin, but to cleanse you from it. God is more interested in your cleansing than He is in anything else. Once you are cleansed from your sin, you will find the desire for it will not longer be there.

An Original Replica

Ezekiel 16:44

"Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter."

Several years ago my wife and I had the privilege of touring a border town in Mexico. While in this area, she and I went to the market to see what we could bring back as souvenirs. It was humorous to hear the vendors talk about how their goods were the real thing. We saw fancy watches and purses, and each vendor swore that they were the real thing. Yet, when you looked a little closer, you found out that they were just a replica. They were a copy of the real thing.

God used a proverb to describe Jerusalem that said, "As is the mother, so is her daughter." This proverb was not a fairy tale story, but it was the truth. In other words, God used a proverb that was truthful to show His people what they had become.

A daughter is often a replica of her mother. This does not take away from the originality of an individual, but it is the truth. Most young ladies will become like their mother. How often have you seen a young lady who reminded you of her mother? This proverb should teach you several lessons.

First, every mother needs to beware of what she is teaching her daughter. You may not think your daughter is watching you, but I can assure you she is. There are many mothers who think they can shame their daughters away from their bad habits, but your daughter will learn from your actions more than she will from your words. With that thought in mind, what is your daughter learning from you? Would you want your daughter to turn out like you? Ladies, if there is something in your life that you would not want your daughter to do, then you need to change it. You need to live your life in such a manner that you wouldn't be ashamed if she turned out like you.

Second, every daughter needs to learn the importance of copying the right things. Just because your mother does something does not mean that you should do it. If your mother does something that is wrong, then you should not copy it; however, you should copy those things in your mother that are worthy of copying.

Third, single young ladies should live their lives in a manner as if they were a mother. You will most likely become a mother someday; therefore, you should realize that you will be what you are right now. You won't change your bad habits just because you become a mother. Now is the time to work on changing the bad habits in your life so that when you become a mother your daughter has something worthy of copying.

Fourth, young men should take a good look at a young lady's mother before marrying her. I say this guardedly, but whomever you are dating will most likely have many characteristics of her mother. A lady's mother will often show you what a young lady will become when she gets married. Though this isn't always the case, many times it is. This is why it is important for a young man to get to know the mother of the young lady he is dating.

Finally, let me encourage every parent to be careful what they are teaching their children. Though this proverb was about the mother and daughter, I believe the same can be said about the father and son. You should live your life in such a manner that you would not be ashamed of your children copying you when they are adults.

God's Presence in Your Life

Ezekiel 11:5

"And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them."

To have God's presence in one's life should be the desire of every Christian. The verse above says, "And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me,..." What a powerful statement! Ezekiel was not just talking about a desire to have God's presence, but he was testifying about having it. Yet, there were some steps he took before this happened that I would like to show you.

First, he had a good attitude. Verse 1 says, "Moreover the spirit lifted me up,..." The Scriptures didn't say that he was put down, but that he was lifted up. In other words, Ezekiel's spirit had to be one that the Holy Spirit would want to be a part of. You won't find people with God's presence on their life who are always down in the dumps. You should strive to grab God's attention by having a good attitude.

Second, he was obedient to the Spirit of God. Verse 1 continues to say, "Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate..." Notice, Ezekiel had to follow the Spirit's leading. If the Spirit of God had told Ezekiel to go to the east gate, and if he had not followed, then the Spirit of the LORD could not have fallen upon him. God's Spirit will never fall upon you if you don't obey Him. When the Spirit of the LORD speaks to your heart, He expects you to listen and obey. Why should the Spirit of the LORD fall upon you if you don't listen? The Spirit of God will never force Himself upon anyone. If, when He speaks, you don't listen, then He will quietly go away and find someone else who will be obedient. You should be sure that you have such an obedient and yielded spirit that whatever God asks or tells you to do that you do it. You'll never experience God's presence otherwise.

Third, in verses 2-3 Ezekiel went to the people. God's Spirit is not a possession for you to hold; rather, His Spirit is to be a conduit through your life. You will never get God's Spirit upon your life by sitting at home doing nothing. God's Spirit falls upon those who are doing something for God. Let me ask you, what are you doing for the LORD that would cause Him to want to place His Spirit upon you? The purpose of God's Holy Spirit's presence is to help you to help those whom He wants to help. Until you get busy serving the LORD, you will never experience God's presence in your life.

Fourth, verse 4 shows us that Ezekiel prophesied to the people. Christian, get busy spreading the Word of God to people. You can spread It through soul winning, teaching a Sunday school class, helping people who are hurting, teaching people in a nursing home, etc. When you teach God's Word, that motivates God's Spirit to help you make the needed impact on the hearts of individuals.

These four steps took place before Ezekiel could say, "And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me,..." This world needs Christians who have the presence of the LORD on their life. Better yet, your world needs someone who has the presence of the LORD upon their life. Be that person! Daily follow these four steps, and you will find that the Spirit of the LORD will work through your life. You will find that the more He works through your life, the greater impact you will have on the lives of other's.

Almost is Not Enough

Jeremiah 26:24

"Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death."

There are many things you can do when almost will be enough. Almost is good enough when you play horseshoes. You can almost get a ringer, and still get points. When playing darts, you can almost hit the bullseye and get points for missing the mark. As a teacher of mine said years ago, you can almost hit a target with a bomb and still do much damage.

Almost works with many things, but it does not work when it comes to doing right. Jehoiakim almost did right with what Jeremiah said, but it was not good enough. Jeremiah stood in the courts of the LORD's house and testified against the cities of Judah because of their wickedness. When the king's servants heard these words, they returned to the king to tell the him what Jeremiah said. Some of the people wanted Jeremiah killed, for they felt his words were treasonous. Others stood and told the story about Micah testifying during Hezekiah's day, and reminded the king that instead of killing the prophet, Hezekiah got right with God. After hearing both suggestions, Jehoiakim saved Jeremiah from being killed, but he did not get right with God concerning the sins of Judah. He almost did right, but his almost was not enough to stay God's judgment.

There are many times when we can almost do right, but you must always remember that almost is not enough with God. You can't almost do right, for almost doing right is still doing wrong. It doesn't matter what your intentions were, the only thing that truly matters is did you do what you were supposed to do? Many Christians think that God will be pleased because they almost did right, only to find out that almost doing right didn't please God. God doesn't expect you to almost do right, He expects you to do right.

You can almost get saved, but almost getting saved will still send you straight to Hell. Agrippa was almost persuaded to be a Christian, but that was not enough as he has been burning in Hell now for many years. Judas almost got saved, as he followed Christ for three years. Yet, though he kissed the door to Heaven, he still died and went to Hell because almost won't get anybody saved. You can go to church and do good your entire life, but that is not good enough with God. You must do right by accepting Christ as your Saviour if you want to go to Heaven. You can grow up in a Christian home, hear every sermon on salvation, do everything but accept Christ, and still go to Hell. Almost will never get you to Heaven. You must do what God tells you to do to get to Heaven.

Likewise, you can almost do right with the Scriptures, but if you only do almost, you are still doing wrong. Too many Christians almost do everything God tells them to do and think that God is pleased. Let me remind you, you can almost do everything, but almost is still disobedience. God doesn't expect an almost obedience, for an almost obedience is disobedience. God expects complete obedience to what He tells you to do, and nothing less.

Are you almost doing right? Have you almost done what it takes to get saved? Are you almost doing everything God tells you to do? Always remember that almost is not enough. The only way you can do enough is to completely follow everything God commands you to do. If you are doing almost, then you are not doing enough. I challenge you not to be an almost Christian, for almost Christians are disobedient Christians. Be a Christian who does everything God commands you to do, for this is the only way God will be pleased with what you do.

Signs to Good Paths

Proverbs 2:9

"Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path."

If you have ever gone to a national park or forest, you have probably seen signs that tell you to stay on the path. The reason those signs are there are because they have found those paths are the best paths to keep people from hurting themselves. Many people like to ignore the good path and try to make their own path, only to find themselves hurt or lost. Though the good path may not seem as exciting, the good path keeps you safe from danger.

It would be great if somehow there was a path that you could follow in life. Life will sometimes seem to obscure the path that you should take. If there were only signs to show the paths to take in life, it would make things much easier for all. Yet, I find that God has set up signs to show us the path to take in life. In fact, He tells us in the verse above that we can understand "every good path." In other words, if we follow God's signs to the good paths, then they will keep us from danger and hurt. Let me show you God's signs that show you the good paths.

The first sign is wisdom. Verse 7 says, "He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous:..." In God's Word you will find that God has wisdom stored for you when you need it. In other words, God has a storage unit of wisdom from which you can make a withdrawal. How do you withdraw from this storage unit of wisdom? First, you must read the Word of God, for every word is what gives you wisdom that you need. Second, you must ask God to give you wisdom in times of need. James 1:5 commands us to ask God for wisdom when we lack it. Before you do anything, you should always ask God for wisdom, for His wisdom will be like a sign that shows you the right path to take.

Second, righteousness is a sign to show you which path to take. It is amazing how righteousness will show you the right path to take in life. I often say that good always breeds good. When you make one good decision, you will find many other good decisions will come from it. One of the most important reasons you should do right all the time is because it keeps your mind clear so you can see God's signs to the right paths of life. When you do wrong, it will cloud your ability to see the right path to take. Samson did wrong, and could not see the signs to the good paths that God was trying to show him.

The result of getting God's wisdom and living right is that God guides you to the right paths of life. Verse 8 says, "He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints." There have been many times in my life when God guided me to the right path, and I believe it all comes from doing right and obtaining God's wisdom.

Knowing the right path in life is not as difficult as we make it. If you will spend time studying the Word of God so you can gain God's wisdom and obey It, then you will find the signs to the right paths are much clearer to see.