will God guide me where to live?

[cruzer]

i recently sold my house to take advantage of the market pricing. now i need to figure out where to live. i have two choices, one near my sister in a great small rural town, or move to florida to be close to my son. naturally i want to be near my son, but i will be leaving ALL of my family. i have no one in florida except my son. i feel like its not an easy choice.

ive been praying way before i even listed my house for sale just asking for guidance. my plan was to buy some land near my sister for my dad and i to build houses on. turns out he cant financially do it. so that kind of made me feel like maybe im meant to move near my son.

i contacted a florida company on the cost to build a barndominium and they said minimum $280,000. which might be fair market value in todays situation, but the company near my sister said $200,000 MAX. thats a big difference especially since i will be going to a new state and new job. who knows what kind of salary i might make. so then this makes me wonder am i being guided to move near my sister? i really enjoy that town and have no interest in florida or the beach(im not against it, id visit it when family wants to, but doubt id go on my own).
i dont HAVE to have a barndominium, im just told its cheaper than a traditional house and it typically features a big garage which is a must have.

neither have houses with land for sale. is that guidance to wait to move?

i dont know what else to do other than keep praying. i am terrible and knowing or noticing what God might be guiding me to

 

[Shadowkat]

Yes, the Lord can guide you in most all of the aspects of your life. The trick is getting Him to way in on the matter and being able to hear his opinion. The question then would be: how does the Lord usually tell you what to do?
Does his Spirit speak directly to you? Does He give you dreams? If only one “door” is open, choosing a direction is easy; but, if you really want to get at the Lord’s will, you’ll need to know how to expect an answer, cuz He could literally send you anywhere in the world. I had funky dreams, but I knew it was Him talking to me; there was no doubt about it. If He does tell you where to go, it’ll surely be awesome one way or another wherever He sends you. By the way, be sure you’re ready for Him to speak; cuz, if He tells you to go somewhere weird like Kuala Lumpur, your kind of stuck with it.
Now, if all that didn’t scare you away, then a more down to Earth suggestion is to ask people near you who know you and can advise and support you like a pastor at your church, a close christian friend, (someone a little closer than this forum). “and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.”(proverbs 24:6). I will ask the Lord to speak to you. Get ready.

 

[Cute Peonies]

Sometimes we need instant answers from God but I realised that He'll reveal his will when you're ready to hear and accept it. Keep praying, He'll answer in due time.

Romans 8:28

 

[Shadowkat]

Clarification:
No offense to the people of Kuala Lumpur. If I were sent there by the Spirit of God, I would consider it an honor.

 

[com7fy8]

In case you do not know how to be guided by God . . . you need to first become able to be guided by God. And then do this, in order to be guided about this situation.

I trust that God wants to guide us in every detail, all the time. So, in case I am correct about this > it can be very simple > all the time, practice submitting to God in all the little items > then, when a bigger thing comes along, simply do what I have been doing, all along > submit to God in His peace and find out what He has me do

You be faithful in little, so you can be faithful in much.

 

[cruzer]

i think thats the problem. i want to be guided, but im not sure i know how or to be able to recognize his guidance. i just dont know what to do other than keep seeking him and praying. im not in a hurry, i just want to make the right decision and i prefer it be his will than my own

 

[sunshineforJesus]

God guides us through all problems,and decisions.

 

[Shadowkat]

i think thats the problem. i want to be guided, but im not sure i know how or to be able to recognize his guidance. i just dont know what to do other than keep seeking him and praying. im not in a hurry, i just want to make the right decision and i prefer it be his will than my own

In the Bible the Lord guided his people in many different ways. Wandering in the desert it was a pillar of fire and a pillar of smoke. For prophets the Bible often says simply that the word of the Lord came to them. For many it came as a dream. There was even a talking Many people in the church talk about the Lord opening “doors” which I think means that they found new options or paths to follow where there were none.

 

[Shadowkat]

i think thats the problem. i want to be guided, but im not sure i know how or to be able to recognize his guidance. i just dont know what to do other than keep seeking him and praying. im not in a hurry, i just want to make the right decision and i prefer it be his will than my own

Oops, I hit the post button on my iPad; it’s late.

In the Bible the Lord guided his people in many different ways. Wandering in the desert it was a pillar of fire and a pillar of smoke. For prophets the Bible often says simply that the word of the Lord came to them. For many it came as a dream. Some saw and spoke with an angel. There was even a talking donkey. Many people in the church talk about the Lord opening “doors” which I think means that they found new options or paths to follow where there were none or few.
As for me, a long time ago, I asked the Lord to speak to me in some way like he did for those people in the Bible stories because I was in great distress and I needed his help. It was wonderful the first time I heard the Lord speak directly to me. There was no “voice”. It was like the words were just there all of a sudden, like when someone that you didn’t realize was in the room speaks. When I sold my house, it was very weird dreams that I think were more like a warning to get out of town; still not sure why. For comfort I had a “waking dream” where the Lord pulled me up on to the roof and showed me the angels he had set on the corners of the property. During the war, I simply knew he was near, but other people made comments about how things just seemed to go right around me.
My best advise is to keep talking to the Lord believing that he is and that he hears you; and, keep straining to hear his response. In the mean time keep your eyes open. Remember that the Lord will never lead you to violate the rules and laws set out in the Bible.

 

[aiki]

i recently sold my house to take advantage of the market pricing. now i need to figure out where to live. i have two choices, one near my sister in a great small rural town, or move to florida to be close to my son. naturally i want to be near my son, but i will be leaving ALL of my family. i have no one in florida except my son. i feel like its not an easy choice.

ive been praying way before i even listed my house for sale just asking for guidance. my plan was to buy some land near my sister for my dad and i to build houses on. turns out he cant financially do it. so that kind of made me feel like maybe im meant to move near my son.

i contacted a florida company on the cost to build a barndominium and they said minimum $280,000. which might be fair market value in todays situation, but the company near my sister said $200,000 MAX. thats a big difference especially since i will be going to a new state and new job. who knows what kind of salary i might make. so then this makes me wonder am i being guided to move near my sister? i really enjoy that town and have no interest in florida or the beach(im not against it, id visit it when family wants to, but doubt id go on my own).
i dont HAVE to have a barndominium, im just told its cheaper than a traditional house and it typically features a big garage which is a must have.

neither have houses with land for sale. is that guidance to wait to move?

i dont know what else to do other than keep praying. i am terrible and knowing or noticing what God might be guiding me to

Psalm 32:9
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.

I'm not saying this is true of you, necessarily, but many Christians have this peculiar notion that God has a particular will for everything they decide is important, that they think will have significant consequences to their living. These same Christians, though, are often ignoring God's will in a myriad of ways in their lives, playing the "wayward mule," living in disobedience to Him in what they watch on t.v. or the internet, what they read, what and how much they eat and drink, how well they honor Christ in their marriages, how seriously they invest in their relationship with God, and so on. They wander from God in all sorts of ways, needing a bridle and bit, really, to force them into remaining close to Him. But when a decision faces them that they don't want to get wrong, these disobedient believers expect the God they generally ignore to make it clear what they should do. Why should He? If they are ignoring and disobeying Him in all of these other areas, why should He suddenly provide new unmistakable leading in the area the believer has finally decided is worth His input? Having trained themselves to ignore God, to ignore His will, how would they recognize His leading if He gave it?

So, let me ask you: Did you have God's clear leading to sell your house? You don't say that you did in your OP. What's the rest of your life like? Are you seeking to honor God in all areas of your living, glorifying Him in how you invest your time, energy and money? If not, it should be no surprise His will is murky when you go looking for it.

In any event, God has given us His word in which we find divine wisdom, truth, spiritual principles and commands. If we can't find a specific instance that directly parallels our own circumstance from which we can draw helpful guidance, we can find general directing principles that we can apply to whatever choice faces us. Of course, God's fundamental intention in everything in our lives is that He be in first place, no competing "idols" ordering our choices. Is this what you want? Your attention seems to be on the cost of new accommodations, family, and what you might enjoy, not on what most honors God and serves His will and way. With your eyes set on you, on what best serves you, it will be very difficult to discern what best honors and serves your Maker, which, as far as He is concerned, is always the most important thing.

1 Corinthians 10:31
31 Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Matthew 6:19-21
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

P.S. - In the Bible, when God had a particular course He wanted someone to follow, He always made it unmistakably clear to that someone what His course for them was (think Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Samuel, David, Daniel, etc.). Even when they didn't know and love God, if He had a message or directive for them, they got it, loud and clear (Nebuchadnezzar, Balaam, Jezebel, Belshazzar, etc). So, if you have no such indicator from God what He wants you to do, then simply apply all the good stuff He's given you in His word to whatever choice faces you and proceed. Most of the time, this is how God intends we should proceed; He doesn't expect us to wait on Him to tell us which socks to wear, or where to shop for groceries, or which car to buy.

 

[Shadowkat]

I think that buying a house is a big deal, and asking the Lord’s direction in it is very appropriate. Personally, I learned a lot from my five year old son; specifically, that even if I were mad at him, he could still come to me with any request. Truly, I always wanted him to know he could come to me with anything and if there was a matter between us, we would deal with it.
In the Bible there is a story of the conquest of the land promised to Israel. The Lord told Joshua to destroy all the peoples in the land, but the Gibeonites fooled the men of Israel by feigning to have moldy provisions and saying that they had come from a distant land. It says, “The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord”. They thought they had it all sorted and didn’t bother to ask the Lord. Oops and Ouch!

 

[cruzer]

Your attention seems to be on the cost of new accommodations, family, and what you might enjoy, not on what most honors God and serves His will and way. With your eyes set on you, on what best serves you, it will be very difficult to discern what best honors and serves your Maker, which, as far as He is concerned, is always the most important thing.

P.S. - In the Bible, when God had a particular course He wanted someone to follow, He always made it unmistakably clear to that someone what His course for them was (think Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Samuel, David, Daniel, etc.). Even when they didn't know and love God, if He had a message or directive for them, they got it, loud and clear (Nebuchadnezzar, Balaam, Jezebel, Belshazzar, etc). So, if you have no such indicator from God what He wants you to do, then simply apply all the good stuff He's given you in His word to whatever choice faces you and proceed. Most of the time, this is how God intends we should proceed; He doesn't expect us to wait on Him to tell us which socks to wear, or where to shop for groceries, or which car to buy.

if i only cared about me me me then i wouldnt be praying to him for guidance. i wouldnt have posted here to help me better understand things.

i have no fear in making a choice, even if it ends up being wrong. but im also not arrogant enough to assume its 100% my choice and not consult with my father.

i also like how you contradict yourself by saying "why should he guide me" if i choose to lead my own life in so many ways and not pursue a relationship with him as well as i should. then you say he makes it clear to those who didnt know or love God. you also say to make my own choice if i hear nothing from him

 

[cruzer]

I think that buying a house is a big deal, and asking the Lord’s direction in it is very appropriate. Personally, I learned a lot from my five year old son; specifically, that even if I were mad at him, he could still come to me with any request. Truly, I always wanted him to know he could come to me with anything and if there was a matter between us, we would deal with it.
In the Bible there is a story of the conquest of the land promised to Israel. The Lord told Joshua to destroy all the peoples in the land, but the Gibeonites fooled the men of Israel by feigning to have moldy provisions and saying that they had come from a distant land. It says, “The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord”. They thought they had it all sorted and didn’t bother to ask the Lord. Oops and Ouch!

exactly a mistake i would rather avoid. even if i ask, and he has no preference/guidance and its up to me, i would ask again the next time, for anything

 

[aiki]

if i only cared about me me me then i wouldnt be praying to him for guidance. i wouldnt have posted here to help me better understand things.

i have no fear in making a choice, even if it ends up being wrong. but im also not arrogant enough to assume its 100% my choice and not consult with my father.

i also like how you contradict yourself by saying "why should he guide me" if i choose to lead my own life in so many ways and not pursue a relationship with him as well as i should. then you say he makes it clear to those who didnt know or love God. you also say to make my own choice if i hear nothing from him

I didn't say you cared only about yourself. But, sometimes, Christians make a great many of their decisions entirely unilaterally, without a second's thought to God's will and priorities for them. This may be you or it may not. As I said, only when such believers really want to make sure what they've decided to do (quite apart from seeking God's will) isn't going to blow up in their faces do they then turn to God for assistance. But their motive isn't God's will and doing it, but gaining the advantage of divine insight on what they've decided to do. I don't think there is good scriptural grounds for thinking God is going to provide such assistance to them. Again, this may or may not be your situation. But if the shoe fits...

I'm glad to hear that you give some consideration to your Heavenly Father in the choices you make. Did He give you clear indications that He wanted you to sell your house?

When I posed the rhetorical question you've mentioned (why should God guide those who have ignored seeking and doing His will), I also added,

"Having trained themselves to ignore God, to ignore His will, how would they recognize His leading if He gave it?"

The rebel toward God, the person making most, if not all, of their decisions without submission to God's will and way, grows blind, deaf and hard to the will of God, becoming increasingly unlikely to seek His will about anything. As Romans 1:18-32 indicates, God will let these people continue in their blindness, deafness and hardness, which leads eventually to terrible delusion and conduct, God's judgment upon their rebelliousness. Now, in the midst of this rebellion, hardness and delusion God may speak, not to guide but to judge, as He did with those I mentioned. When God made His will known to them, they all regretted getting His message.

Anyway, my point was that, generally, God intends the Christian person to use the Bible as their guide in making life decisions. And if God has something He wants to say to someone beyond His word, whether they know Him or not, they will hear it. So, if He hasn't weighed-in on your situation in some extraordinary way, it's to His word you must look for guidance. This isn't "making your own choice" but applying God's wisdom and priorities expressed to you in His word to your particular life situation and conforming your will and way to His.

Again, my words were offered, not to condemn you, but as a broad-strokes reply to the matter of knowing God's will. You'll notice in my first reply that I made no hard assertions about the nature of your walk with God, or of you personally, but actually began my remarks by writing,

"I'm not saying this is true of you, necessarily, but many Christians have this peculiar notion..."

 

[aiki]

I think that buying a house is a big deal, and asking the Lord’s direction in it is very appropriate.

And God's word? Are there not principles, wisdom and commands in it that would properly guide cruzer in navigating the situation s/he is in? Yes, there are (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalms 119:105; Psalms 1). Why, then, should s/he seek God for some further, special indicator of His will - especially if what He has already offered in His word is not being carefully followed?

God wants to be in control of us in everything, not merely weighing in on those things we think are a "big deal." And the more we live with Him ruling over everything, the more readily we can discern what we ought to do, what His will is, in any given situation, regardless of size or importance. But His rule over us isn't characterized by a constant stream of special, just-for-us directives that He whispers in our ear, or that He spells out for us by way of odd coincidence, but by our coming increasingly into conformity to His word, given to us in the Bible.

Personally, I learned a lot from my five year old son; specifically, that even if I were mad at him, he could still come to me with any request.

This is to make the mistake of extrapolating from your condition to God's as though they are essentially the same. They aren't. Yes, God is your Heavenly Father, but not in a way entirely parallel to your being a parent to your child. Most obviously, He is God, your Maker and Sustainer, the Ground of All Reality and Truth. You don't stand in anything like this position relative to your child. Anyway, God is really clear in His word that our requests of Him are hindered or helped by the nature of our relationship to Him:

Psalm 66:18
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Isaiah 59:2
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

1 Peter 3:10-12
10 For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

James 5:16
16 ...The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

You may turn a blind eye to the bad behavior of your child, but God doesn't do this with His own children. If we sin, we halt our fellowship with Him, (though, not our relationship to Him) and put ourselves in a condition relative to God where our prayers are not "heard."

In the Bible there is a story of the conquest of the land promised to Israel. The Lord told Joshua to destroy all the peoples in the land, but the Gibeonites fooled the men of Israel by feigning to have moldy provisions and saying that they had come from a distant land. It says, “The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord”. They thought they had it all sorted and didn’t bother to ask the Lord. Oops and Ouch!

Today, the born-again believer has the entire word of God, filled with examples, commands, wisdom, truth and spiritual principles communicating His will to them. They won't require a "special word" from God when they are carefully applying all that He has given them in His word to their life choices.

Proverbs 3:1-4
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

 

[com7fy8]

i think thats the problem. i want to be guided, but im not sure i know how or to be able to recognize his guidance. i just dont know what to do other than keep seeking him and praying. im not in a hurry, i just want to make the right decision and i prefer it be his will than my own

Well, I'm glad you're answering us.

God does want to guide each of us personally, but what He has us doing will fit in with everything else He has going on. There is His timing, with His overall love purpose and His main focus.

So, how does He guide us? God's word says the Holy Spirit leads us > Romans 8:14. Leading does not mean only telling us what to do. But there is personal guiding, deeper than words >

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

This is very personal . . . working our wills and working what we do in such personal sharing with Him. So, we trust Him to do what He knows this means.

And learn to refuse things which are not God in us.

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31)

"Do all things without complaining and disputing," (Philippians 2:14)

And there is plenty more in God's word to help us.

 

[SANTOSO]

i recently sold my house to take advantage of the market pricing. now i need to figure out where to live. i have two choices, one near my sister in a great small rural town, or move to florida to be close to my son. naturally i want to be near my son, but i will be leaving ALL of my family. i have no one in florida except my son. i feel like its not an easy choice.

ive been praying way before i even listed my house for sale just asking for guidance. my plan was to buy some land near my sister for my dad and i to build houses on. turns out he cant financially do it. so that kind of made me feel like maybe im meant to move near my son.

i contacted a florida company on the cost to build a barndominium and they said minimum $280,000. which might be fair market value in todays situation, but the company near my sister said $200,000 MAX. thats a big difference especially since i will be going to a new state and new job. who knows what kind of salary i might make. so then this makes me wonder am i being guided to move near my sister? i really enjoy that town and have no interest in florida or the beach(im not against it, id visit it when family wants to, but doubt id go on my own).
i dont HAVE to have a barndominium, im just told its cheaper than a traditional house and it typically features a big garage which is a must have.

neither have houses with land for sale. is that guidance to wait to move?

i dont know what else to do other than keep praying. i am terrible and knowing or noticing what God might be guiding me to

Beloved one, if you would like to know how God guide you consider what Jesus said:

“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭11:22-26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

So after you have forgiven those who wronged you, pray and ask and have faith in God, that God will guide you where you live.

beloved one, speak in faith, where you like to live and trust in God, that God will give sustenance and delight to live there, and do good works.

To God the Father be thanksgiving through Christ. Amen