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I. The kinds of leading:
А. The teaching of the anointing.
B. The leading of the Holy Spirit.
C. The forbidding of the Holy Spirit.
D. A gentle, quiet voice.
E. The leading of the Lord’s eye.
F. The enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
G. Dreams and visions.
H. The direction of our situation.
I. The restraining of bit and bridle.
II. How to be led:
А. Turning our hearts to the Lord.
B. Opening to the Lord.
C. Wanting the Lord with a pure heart.
D. Fearing God.
E. Trusting in God.
F. Abiding in the Lord.
G. Being close to the Lord and open to Him.
H. Hearing the Lord’s voice.
I. Hearing the Lord’s word.
J. Comparing the revelation that we obtain with the Lord’s word.
K. Taking the Lord’s word as our standard.
L. Enduring sufferings.
M. Obeying the Lord’s leading concerning the first step.
III. The results of being led:
А. Being filled and resting.
B. Walking in the paths of righteousness.
Being led is a necessary part of the Christian life and service before God. Thus, we need to consider this topic carefully.
The Bible shows that the Lord uses many marvelous ways to lead us. There are at least nine kinds of leading in the Bible.
1. “The anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone teach you; but as His anointing teaches you concerning all things” (1 John 2:27).
The Lord leads us in a subjective way: He lives in us and leads us. The Lord’s anointing lives in us and teaches us concerning all things. This is His leading. In chapter 21 we saw that the anointing spoken of in 1 John 2:27 refers to the moving of the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit moves within us like an ointment. He anoints us with the Lord’s intention and causes us to know the things of God. Thus, the anointing within us, which is the moving of the Holy Spirit, teaches us concerning all things so that we may know the Lord’s desire and be led by Him.
The anointing does not teach us only occasionally. It abides in us and teaches us constantly. It does not come into us for a moment and then leave. It abides in us forever; therefore, it teaches us constantly. It does not teach us about only a few things; it teaches us concerning all things. Since the Lord’s anointing continuously teaches us concerning all things, we do not need anyone to teach us. If we would accept the teaching of the anointing at every time, in every place, and concerning all things, we truly would have no need for anyone to teach us. Regardless of whether the teaching of the anointing concerns God, man, mundane affairs, important events, material things, or spiritual matters, as long as we are willing to receive its teaching, it will teach us inwardly.
The most precious thing about being a Christian is to receive the teaching of the anointing within us and to walk according to this inner anointing. When brothers and sisters have a problem, they often ask others for advice in order to be taught by them. This shows that they are outward Christians. But the Lord wants us to abide in Him, to fellowship with Him, and to receive the teaching of His anointing concerning all things and thus be inward Christians. Merely consulting others and being taught by them does not have much spiritual value. We must contact the Lord inwardly and receive the teaching of the anointing directly. This is precious. If we live this way, we can truly experience the reality of not needing anyone to teach us. The Lord’s anointing will teach us in everything. Then we can fellowship with the Lord at any time and in any place, and no matter what we are doing, we will sense the teaching of the anointing.
1. “Led by the Spirit of God” (Rom. 8:14).
One of the most powerful ways in which the Lord leads us is by the leading of the Holy Spirit. We should focus more on the Holy Spirit than on natural or supernatural things. The Lord always leads us through the Holy Spirit. Although His leading seems to occur in conjunction with natural things, the leading of the Lord through the Holy Spirit often is unrelated to natural things; it is something spiritual, which we feel directly in our spirit.
1. “Having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit...the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them” (Acts 16:6-7).
The phrases forbidden by the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them are like the two rails of a railroad track. When a train stays on its track, everything is normal. When we follow the two rails of the forbidding and restricting of the Holy Spirit within us, we feel very normal. Whenever we leave the railroad track of the Holy Spirit’s leading, however, we no longer feel normal. Instead, we feel an inward forbidding and restricting. Brothers and sisters, whenever we feel that something is wrong, we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s forbidding and restricting. For example, we may want to go to the house of a brother or sister, but when we arrive at the door and are about to ring the bell, we may inwardly sense that something is wrong. We should obey this feeling, refrain from ringing the doorbell, and go home.
There was once a man in England who was much used by the Lord. On one occasion some people planned to trap him. They wrote a false letter and asked him to come to their house to help solve a spiritual problem. He went to the address in the letter, but as he was standing at the door, he felt a strong inward forbidding. Rather than ringing the bell, he turned around and went home. Later, he learned about the trap that had been prepared for him. The Lord’s inward forbidding stopped him and saved him. Oh, how precious is this forbidding! If we live in the Lord and follow Him, the Holy Spirit will often use this kind of forbidding and restricting to preserve us on God’s track so that we can act according to God’s will. If we are about to go against God’s will, the Holy Spirit within us will not allow us. His forbidding and restricting are one way of the Lord’s leading.
1. “My sheep hear My voice...and they follow Me” (John 10:27, see also v. 16).
The Lord Jesus’ sheep hear His voice and follow Him. Therefore, the Lord’s voice also leads us so that we may follow Him. We belong to the Lord, and we should pay attention to His voice and follow Him according to His voice.
2. “A great, strong wind...an earthquake...a fire...And after the fire, a gentle, quiet voice...came to him and said” (1 Kings 19:11-13).
Elijah’s experience shows that the Lord speaks to His followers in a gentle, quiet voice. It is not a powerful voice like a great wind or an earthquake or a fire. The Lord was not in the great wind, the earthquake, or the fire. He was in the gentle, quiet voice that spoke to Elijah. Today the Lord often speaks to us and leads us with a gentle, quiet voice through the Holy Spirit within us. We should not look to the Lord to speak to us outwardly through miracles and great events. He directs us inwardly through a gentle, quiet voice.
1. “I will instruct you and teach you concerning the way you should go; / I will counsel you; my eye is upon you” (Psa. 32:8).
What is spoken of here is marvelous. The Lord instructs those who come near to Him and teaches them the way that they should go by guiding them with His eye. This kind of leading is very intimate. It is not expressed with words but with the expression of the eyes. For example, when we go to someone’s home, the husband may simply look at his wife, who then knows that she should serve tea. This kind of communication is possible only between people who are close to one another.
1. “Your word is a lamp to my feet / And a light to my path” (Psa. 119:105).
The Bible is the Lord’s word to us. In principle, it reveals the Lord’s will to us in everything. Therefore, the Bible often enlightens us, lighting our steps in our way of following the Lord. This is another way that He leads us.
In ancient times, when people went out at night on a dark road, they carried a torch to light their path. Wherever they walked, they had light. If they did not go to a certain place, the light did not go there either. Spiritually speaking, we are living in the night, and the Bible is like a torch — a lamp — that lights our way. The lamp is a light to our feet and to our path. It is for our walking, and it shines on our steps. If we do not walk in God’s way, we will not be enlightened by the Bible. If we do not walk in God’s way with our feet, and instead only use our mind to read God’s Word, we will not gain light. God’s Word shines forth light when our feet walk in God’s way. Step by step, the Word is a lamp to our feet. Wherever we go, the Word of God enlightens us.
We must read the Bible carefully to discover its principles as the standard for our living and being. We must not use the Bible as if it were a fortunetelling book. Rather than reading the Bible consistently, some people open the Bible only when they have a problem. Then they pray a little and randomly point to a page. They regard whatever word that they point to as the Lord’s direction and leading. This is superstitious and can sometimes be very dangerous. A person once opened the Bible and pointed to the words in Matthew 27:5 about Judas, which say, “He went away and hanged himself.” It is easy to see how dangerous this method could be. Do you think that he should have hung himself? Sometimes this method can also produce very coincidental results. Once there was a brother in Fukien who did not know whether he should go to Southeast Asia to work for the Lord. He opened the Bible and pointed to the words in Acts 8:26, which say, “Go south.” Despite the coincidence, do you think that this leading was reliable? The Bible should not be used this way. We should read its clear teachings and understand them, or we should learn its principles as our guide. Deuteronomy 22:10 says that an ox and a donkey should not be yoked together. In principle, this means that those who are clean should not be yoked with those who are unclean. By this we know that God does not permit those who have been cleansed by faith to cooperate with or to be yoked together with unclean unbelievers in anything, including marriage, business, or other matters. Therefore, in order to use the Bible as our guide in living, acting, or working before God, we must read the Bible carefully and then understand and apply it according to our proper understanding. This is the way of one who truly follows the Lord and is led by Him.
1. “God speaks in one way, / Indeed in two ways, without any perceiving it — / In a dream, a night vision, / When deep sleep falls upon men... / Then He opens the ears of men / And seals up their instruction” (Job 33:14-16).
Sometimes the Lord leads us with dreams and visions. These verses indicate that God speaks in one way, indeed in two ways, without man perceiving it; consequently, God uses dreams and visions to open man’s ears and to instruct him. Dreams and visions are not a primary means of His leading but a secondary one. In His leading, God primarily speaks to men. If men do not understand His word, He can use dreams and visions to direct them. If God speaks to men in one way, indeed in two ways, and they still do not perceive, God is forced to use dreams and visions to instruct them. Therefore, we should place more emphasis on God’s word than on dreams and visions. Today there is a group of people who pays too much attention to dreams and visions. They neglect the Word of God and emphasize instead the seeking of dreams and visions. When they meet, one will say that he had a dream, and another will claim to have seen a vision. Dreams and visions easily attract people’s attention. Curious people especially like these things. But a normal follower of the Lord always places the Lord’s word first. Of course, we do acknowledge that the Lord does give dreams and visions to direct and lead us or to comfort and strengthen us when necessary. I have been graced by the Lord in this way and have had this kind of experience, but we should regard the Lord’s word as the most important thing.
2. “Having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit...the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them...A vision appeared to Paul during the night...And when he had seen the vision...concluding that God had called us to announce the gospel to them” (Acts 16:6-7, 9-10).
These verses and the verses in Job 33 are very similar. When Paul went out to preach the gospel, he wanted to stay in Asia, but the Holy Spirit forbade him. He wanted to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow him. By looking at a map, we can see that the Holy Spirit wanted him to cross the Aegean Sea and go to Macedonia on the opposite side. However, Paul did not understand this at the time. It was as if God was speaking to him one way, indeed in two ways, but he did not perceive it. This forced God to use a vision in the night to direct him, which also shows that this kind of leading is not primary but secondary. Paul’s primary leading was the speaking or sense from God given to him by the Holy Spirit.
We should also pay attention to Paul’s response to the vision. After Paul saw the vision, he concluded that God had called him to bring the good news to Macedonia. He did not believe it until he had carefully considered the vision. We should not believe dreams and visions lightly. If we have a dream or vision and believe it without any discernment or consideration, we can be easily cheated.
1. “Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons...And Jacob saw Laban’s countenance, and now it was not favorable toward him as previously. And Jehovah said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers” (Gen. 31:1-3).
A Christian must be able to understand the speaking that he receives from the Bible outwardly, the Holy Spirit inwardly, and the situation around him. Our situation often is a hint or proof of the Lord’s leading. Jacob heard Laban’s sons talking about him in the house. Then he saw that Laban’s countenance was not favorable toward him. Spontaneously, he felt he should no longer stay in Laban’s house. At this point God spoke to him, saying, “Return to the land of your fathers.” Thus, he was clear that he should leave. If we want to be led by the Lord, we must also understand our situation and pay attention to the meaning of its direction. The direction of our situation also serves as a leading from the Lord.
1. “Do not be like a horse or like a mule, without understanding; / Whose trappings consist of bit and bridle to restrain them, / Else they do not come near you” (Psa. 32:9).
Horses and mules are without understanding. They often do not obey their handlers. Therefore, the handler uses a bit and bridle to restrain them and make them obey. Before the Lord we sometimes do not obey. This forces the Lord to use hard situations to deal with us and to lead us. These hard situations are the bit and bridle used by the Lord to restrain us and cause us to obey His leading. The restraining of horses and mules by bit and bridle causes obedience through pain. The hardships of the Lord’s dealing produce similar pains to us. This kind of situational dealing, which restrains us through hardships, is a leading of the Lord to us.
It is useless to know about the Lord’s leading but not know how to be led by the Lord. Therefore, we must not only know about the Lord’s leading, but we must also know how to be led by the Lord. Knowing about the Lord’s leading is objective; knowing how to be led by the Lord is subjective. We must consider how to be led by the Lord because it is more important than only knowing about the Lord’s leading.
1. “Whenever their heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Cor. 3:16).
The Lord’s leading cannot be separated from the Lord Himself. We can even say that the Lord Himself is His leading. A person whose heart is turned away from the Lord definitely cannot be led by the Lord. If we want to be led by the Lord, we must turn to the Lord. If we do not see the Lord’s leading, it is because our heart is away from the Lord, and this becomes a veil covering our eyes. Whenever our heart turns to the Lord, this veil is taken away. When we are unveiled before the Lord, we can easily see the Lord’s light and be led by the Lord.
1. “We all with unveiled face, beholding...the glory of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).
If we want to receive the Lord’s leading, we must see the light of the Lord’s face, and if we want to see the light of the Lord’s face, we must open to the Lord. A person who is closed to the Lord cannot see the light of His face and receive His leading. We must open to the Lord from our innermost part without any hint of being closed. Then we can enter into the light of the Lord’s face and see the direction of the Lord and receive His leading.
1. “The pure in heart...shall see God” (Matt. 5:8).
God is light; therefore, those who see God are easily enlightened and led. If we want to see God, we must be pure in heart. In the Bible being pure in heart means that we are single and simple toward God. We want God Himself and nothing other than God. If we want God and something other than God, loving both God and the world, our heart will not be single, simple, and pure toward Him. Once our heart is not pure or single toward God, our eyes will not be single either. They will be evil. The Lord said, “If therefore your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark” (6:22-23). If our heart is not pure toward God, our eye will be evil, and our whole being will be dark. How can we be led by the Lord in such a condition? If we want to be led by the Lord, we must desire the Lord with a pure heart. Desiring the Lord with a pure heart is an important condition of being led by the Lord.
1. “Who then is the man who fears Jehovah? / Him will He instruct concerning the way that he should choose” (Psa. 25:12).
Fearing God is also a requirement of being led by the Lord. To fear God is to be afraid of offending God. It is not only to fear sin and worldliness but even more to fear ourselves. The real fear of God is to be afraid of ourselves. It is to be afraid of bringing anything of ourselves into the things of God — any element of ourselves, our likes, our opinions, and our choices. If we fear God in this way and reject ourselves, God will instruct us in the way that we should choose, and we will receive His leading.
2. “The intimate counsel of Jehovah is to those who fear Him, / And His covenant will He make known to them” (Psa. 25:14).
If we fear God, we will be afraid of offending Him, so we will reject ourselves and all that is offensive to God in everything that we do. Then we will receive more than God’s ordinary leading; we will know the intimate counsel of God. The intimate counsel of God will be with us, and He will show us His covenant.
1. “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, / And do not rely on your own understanding; / In all your ways acknowledge Him, / And He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5-6).
The Lord does not lead those who think that they are clever or who rely on their own cleverness. The Lord can only lead and direct the paths of those who reject their own cleverness and trust in the Lord with all their heart and who acknowledge Him in all their ways.
1. “His anointing teaches you concerning all things...and even as it has taught you, abide in Him” (1 John 2:27).
Abiding in the Lord and receiving the teaching of His anointing are absolutely related. On the one hand, we must obey the teaching of the anointing to abide in the Lord. On the other hand, we must abide in the Lord to receive the teaching of the anointing. To abide in the Lord is to fellowship with the Lord without any barriers. If a barrier between the Lord and us breaks our fellowship, how can we receive the teaching of the anointing? Those who receive the teaching of the anointing are those who abide in the Lord and fellowship with Him. If we want to be led by the Lord, we must deal with any barriers between the Lord and us in order to recover and maintain our fellowship with the Lord and to abide in Him.
If we want to abide in the Lord, receive the teaching of the anointing, and gain the Lord’s leading, we must be quiet in our spirit. The Lord’s anointing within us is the moving of the Holy Spirit. It is always gentle. If we are rough, hurried, or excited, it is not easy for us to feel the anointing. Inwardly, we must be steady, quiet, and gentle to feel the moving of the Holy Spirit, to receive the teaching of the anointing, and to be led by the Lord.
1. “I will counsel you; my eye is upon you” (Psa. 32:8).
God’s intimate leading with His eye requires that we be close to and open to God. If we are far from Him, we will not see how He is leading us with His eye. We must be close to Him. However, being close is not enough; we must also be open to Him. If there is a barrier between Him and us, we cannot see what He is saying with His eye, no matter how close we are. Being close but not open means that we cannot see at all. I can be very close to you, but if there is a piece of paper between us, I cannot see your eyes. Therefore, we need to be close to and also open to the Lord. There should be no distance between us, and there should be no barriers. Only then will we be able to receive the intimate leading of His eye.
1. “My sheep hear My voice...and they follow Me” (John 10:27).
To be led by the Lord, we must also be able to hear the Lord’s voice. Because the Lord’s voice is gentle and quiet, we need to be quiet in order to hear it. We must not only be quiet outwardly, but even more we must be quiet inwardly because the Lord’s voice, which is gentle and quiet, is also within us. To hear the Lord’s voice, we must not only be at peace, but even more we must be inwardly peaceful. We must learn to constantly return to our inner being and listen to the Lord’s voice — His gentle, quiet voice — in a peaceful condition so that we can be led by Him. If we seek to hear the Lord’s voice outwardly, we will be deceived by the falsehood of Satan’s evil spirits. This kind of deceit actually occurred previously in Fukien.
1. “He awakens me morning by morning; / He awakens my ear / To hear as an instructed one” (Isa. 50:4).
Being able to hear the Lord’s word is very much related to being led by the Lord. We should learn to come before the Lord every morning as an instructed one looking to Him to speak to us. We should ask the Lord to awaken our ears to hear His word. Although the Bible is the Lord’s word, it is written in black and white letters. Prayer is needed in order to make it fresh and living so that He can give us His direction and leading each day.
1. “We saw His star at its rising...So it is written through the prophet” (Matt. 2:2, 5).
When the magi from the east first saw Christ’s star, they obtained a revelation of His birth, but they did not know where Christ would be born. When they compared their revelation to the Old Testament, they knew He would be born in Bethlehem. We often have an inward sense from the Lord and even obtain a revelation from Him, but we must compare this revelation to the Scriptures to clearly understand the Lord’s meaning. Therefore, we must be very familiar with the Bible so that we can compare it to our sense from Him in order to understand His revelations and be led by Him.
1. “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because in them there is no dawn” (Isa. 8:20).
In being led by the Lord in various matters, we must absolutely take the Lord’s Word — the Bible — as our standard. Even if a sense of leading comes from a feeling, a dream or vision, the direction of our situation, a teaching that we received from someone, or something that we read in a book, it still must be according to the Lord’s Word in order for us to receive it and to understand His leading. If it is not according to the Bible, it will not be reliable, it will lack the Lord’s light, and it will not be something that we should receive.
1. “Though the Lord has given you / ...adversity...oppression, / ...your eyes will see your Teacher. / And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, / This is the way, walk in it, / When you turn to the right or turn to the left” (Isa. 30:20-21).
Adversity and oppression often cause us to be taught by the Lord so that we may know whether we are walking in the way of the Lord when we turn right or left. Many times comfort and peace can confuse us.
1. “Arise...flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you” (Matt. 2:13).
The Lord wanted Joseph to flee into Egypt and stay there until He told him differently. Joseph had to obey the Lord’s leading in this first step and flee into Egypt before he could be led in a second step to know where the Lord wanted him to go. Similarly, when Abraham was called, the Lord led him only concerning his first step to leave the land of his fathers. After he obeyed, the Lord led him with a second step by showing him where he should live. The Lord often leads us one step at a time. When we obey, He tells us about the next step. The Lord rarely leads us two or more steps at once. Thus, we must obey the Lord’s leading concerning the first step before we can receive the Lord’s leading concerning the second step.
1. “He makes me lie down in green pastures; / He leads me beside waters of rest” (Psa. 23:2 see also S. S. 1:7).
When the Lord leads us, He shepherds us, causing us to enjoy the filling of green pastures and the rest by the waters of rest.
1. “He guides me on the paths of righteousness” (Psa. 23:3).
The Lord considers the paths of those who are led by Him to be righteous. Therefore, walking on the paths of righteousness is a result of being led by the Lord.
