Promises of guidance

Spoken to: A father's instruction to his son.

The promise is straight paths, and the condition is the opposite of self-reliance: trust with all the heart, acknowledge him in all your ways.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Spoken to: God's answer in David's psalm after confession.

Instruction, teaching, counsel, and a watching eye. The guidance is personal and ongoing, and it follows honest confession (Psalm 32:5).

Psalm 32:8

Spoken to: Written to believers facing trials.

The promise is that God gives, generously and without scolding. The next verse adds that the asking must be in faith, without doubting (James 1:6).

James 1:5

Spoken to: Spoken to Israel, promised for a returning people.

The guidance is a voice behind, correcting the turn. It presumes a person is walking and listening, not standing still waiting for a map.

Isaiah 30:21