Study Guide For God Revealed | Chapter Three
God Revealed . . . at the Crossroads in Our Lives
Chapter 3 recounted experiences in which God dramatically intervened at various crossroads to guide me (and others) down the right course. At any one of these critical moments or decision points, the consequences and the course of the future could have been quite negative. Certainly many people will attribute good choices and outcomes to luck. But as one who has a strong faith and relies daily on God’s loving and gracious guidance, I firmly believe that the spirit of God dwells within me and, at times, reacts and responds quickly to a crisis or the need for an immediate decision.
God to the Rescue
The most dramatic instance of this guidance occurred when I was a young boy about to take a ride with my dad—when that small voice within warned me of danger and told me to check behind the car only to find a sleeping infant directly under the rear wheels.
- There certainly have been experiences in your life that you later looked back on and said to yourself, “Oh, how my life would have been different if this or that had or had not happened.” Try to identify one such event that ultimately resulted in a positive outcome.
- Try to recall and describe the circumstances surrounding that event and how your life today would have been different, if it hadn’t happened.
- By exploring the ways your life developed after that pivotal event, ask yourself whether this might have been an intervention by God after all.
Workplace Intervention
Throughout my career, I brought God into the workplace. I prayed to Him and relied on guidance from the Holy Spirit every day of my working life. I had the blessed assurance that He was with me and guiding me throughout my career. But there were particular crossroads I faced during my career when God provided the necessary guidance through the voices and actions of others. In the story “A Career Turning Point,” God spoke to me through the candid and thoughtful feedback of my mentor and boss, Jules Pallone. His timely advice and constructive criticism put me on the right path.
- Do you believe God is with you in the workplace? Are you seeking His guidance and direction daily at work?
- Can you recall a time when you felt God was in control of your response to a difficult situation, especially one with which you had previously struggled unsuccessfully?
- What were the circumstances of the event? What approaches had you considered in dealing with the issue? Describe what God’s divine solution looked like and the ultimate outcome.
Touching Troubled Hearts
At an important crossroad in his life, my son Zac, who was struggling with the emotional devastation of clinical depression, made life-altering observations on a trip we took to Africa. In the story “Lessons for the Affluent in Africa,” it was God who revealed these lessons not only to Zac but to me and the other unsuspecting guests during a moonlight dinner at Mombo Camp in Botswana. With the realization that true happiness doesn’t depend on material possessions, all of us were given a new perspective.
- Do you consider yourself a “happy” person?
- What is it in your life that contributes most to that happiness?
- How can that realization affect the way you live your life from this day forward?
- How can you transfer that awareness and wisdom to others?