“It doesn’t matter very much where we live… But how we live, what sort of neighbours we are, how we raise our families – these things are of great significance to God. Likewise, which job we do is of comparatively little importance, but how we conduct ourselves at work is close to God’s heart. God’s guidance is more like a compass than a map. We are not given the fine detail of every decision on every day for the rest of our lives. God doesn’t want us to spend our time trying to discover the secrets of his will. He does indeed guide us through life ‘behind the scenes’ and every detail is known to him and under his sovereign control. He knows where he wants to take us, and he will get us there. But he does not provide us with a detailed map – he gives us a compass instead.

At every point along the journey, no matter where we are or what we are doing; we can consult the compass to see which direction to head. That direction is always towards righteousness and holiness and becoming like Christ… The compass is his own word to us: the Bible. It may not tell us the detail of every rock to step over, or whether to climb the mountain or tunnel through it, but it will constantly and unerringly point us to what God wants us to do every day of our lives. It will tell us what matters, matters, and in what ways God wants us to lovingly obey him. It will also tell us, by implication, that some decisions (or aspects of decisions) are not matters of right and wrong, and that in these circumstances we can use [common sense and] the wisdom God has given us to make up our minds.”

extract from <i>‘Guidance and the voice of God’</i> by Phillip Jensen and Tony Payne

Source: Phillip Jensen & Tony Payne, Guidance and the Voice Of God, Matthias Media (1997) p.87/88 & 97/98