God offers help and guidance to His people in many ways (see last week's article). But, there are some mistakes that must be avoided as we look for this assistance:

1) Do not assume that God has a preference in every single matter. As long as you can continue to faithfully serve Him, He will be pleased with whatever decision you make (Ps. 37:4).

2) Don't wait for some kind of subjective confirmation. Certain people go to great extremes to detect a "sign" from God so that they will know that they are making the right decision. We should remember that God does not perform miracles in the world today, and we shouldn't be looking for any such divine intervention.

3) Be careful not to overlook the obvious. For example, if you are married, you don't need to spend hours agonizing over whether or not you should love and support your mate. Of course you should. It's obvious!

4) Never neglect what is logical and rational. Use the good sense that God gave you. Paul used the expression "know ye not" a dozen times in his epistles. Basically, he was urging us to use common sense when making decisions that affect our souls.

5) Don't take Bible verses out of context. The classic example is this: Judas "went and hanged himself" (Matt. 27:5); "Go, and do thou likewise" (Lk. 10:37); "That thou doest, do quickly" (Jn. 13:27). Wow! It's easy to see the problems this can cause, but many folks still make this critical mistake.

6) Stop expecting everything to be "roses." Jesus often advised those who wanted to follow him to "count the cost" (Lk. 14:25-33). Many who did choose to follow him suffered intense persecution. He himself died a cruel and unjust death. What makes you think that your life on this earth will always be perfect? The perfect life will come hereafter to those who faithfully serve the Lord.

Yes, God offers His people help and guidance. Pray for wisdom to 'see' it (James 1:5).