“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will advise you with My eye upon you” ( Psalm32: 8).

My children, like most kids, love hearing stories about my husband and me growing up, navigating life, and experiencing God’s guidance through the years. But with these stories always came the same question from my oldest daughter: “How did you know what to do? How did you hear God’s voice and follow His direction? What if I don’t hear Him or feel guided like you both did?”

I spent many days explaining to her that in due time, as she matures, remains rooted in God’s word, and continues to grow in her Christian faith, she will have His hands to guide her and His counsel to direct her steps in the right path.

We all cherish verses like the ones in psalm 32, and often dedicate them to our children on birthdays or graduations. We fervently pray that the final words of verse 8 become a profound reality as our children grow and navigate the world. As we are seeking a job, a home, and a community to belong to. Yet, I have learned this blessing comes at a cost. To have His eye upon us and benefit from His counsel, one needs to make it more than a wish. More than one prayer. Its premise resides in humility and obedience.

We cannot afford to omit the first part of this verse—the teaching, the guidance, the rigorous discipline of hearing no when we desire yes, and yes when we long for no. I often ask myself: Am I truly ready to be taught? Do I possess a teachable heart? A humble heart acknowledges the need for a teacher. Am I prepared to embrace the raw, simple, and often difficult path of the Cross, resisting the temptation to soften it with worldly appeal? Can I stand firm when the first signs of hardship and even persecution arise?

One story that often touches my heart is one Elizabeth Elliot shared about her friend. Mrs. Cunningham, a Scottish widow, embodied joy, peace, and deep love. But her life wasn’t always that way. She told Elizabeth, “When I reflect on my pain, burdens, and mistakes, I often asked the Lord, ‘Why didn’t you show me how to do things differently? Why wasn’t I guided to make better choices more often?’” The Lord’s answer was, “Because you were not ready to be shown.” This truth resonates deeply with many of our own lives, don’t you think?

Are we prepared to be “shown”? To receive the wisdom of God and the knowledge that will lead us to make the right choices? Humility is the foundation of learning because it reveals a heart that acknowledges its shortcomings. It is a heart seeking wisdom from above, not only desiring direction but also willing to be corrected and convicted. A teachable heart goes beyond humility, combining it with obedience and discipline. In many areas of my life, I have found myself asking Him to show me what to do, when to do it, and how to carry it out.

In a world influenced by secularism and shifting cultural values, are we ready to embrace the truth that as women, we are created in the image of God? This means we possess inherent worth and equality alongside men, yet we have uniquely assigned roles out of His great love for us—roles designed to bless us as wives and mothers within a loving, submissive relationship to our husbands. Do we still believe in this truth and remain eager to understand the deeper meaning of these verses?

Would we want to learn that lovingly respecting our husbands is not a sign of weakness, loss of identity, or blindness, but rather a way to show God our acceptance of His authority, trusting that they are the pillars upon which security and protection are built? Would we want to be ‘shown’ that we don’t need to “fit in” with every group or showcase our talents outside the home to have true significance?

Nothing has revealed to me the true value of a woman more profoundly than the verse that became my prayer from 1 Peter 3:4: “But the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, is precious in God’s sight.” How much heartache, despair, division, and discord could vanish from our families if we truly sought to learn these truths from the Lord? Are we prepared to partner with God in raising our children, guiding them in the way of Christ while allowing God to shape their hearts and complete their upbringing?

Are our men open to receiving the secrets of wisdom that will double their prudence, as promised in Job 11:6? Wisdom that empowers them to become the spiritual leaders God intended—priests of their families—teaching their children and a confused generation to distinguish between the holy and the unholy, to discern truth from falsehood, and light from darkness, as described in Ezekiel 44:2 ?

Are we truly prepared to be counseled by Him—the One I call my Savior, who must also be my Lord? By Him- whose desires and plans for my life -should take precedence over the opinions of social media or friends, for He is the embodiment of perfect Wisdom!

Am I prepared to be led in the way of life by this incredible God who knows the paths of the stars, commands the roaring oceans, and stretches out the heavens (Jeremiah 31:35-37)? He is the only counsel we need. In Him lies infinite wisdom for every season and circumstance. He already knows your destiny and has assigned your portion. Let Him guide, teach, and counsel you, and His eyes shall never leave you. Open your heart and be ready to “be shown” His direction! You will be amazed…

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me”.  (John 15:4)