307. THE LORD LEADS

(The Information & Edification Series – Batch 10)

Having relationship with the Lord means that we get to benefit from many spiritual blessings. In Ephesians 1:3, Paul, who had been brought into God’s divine royal family by faith in his Son the Lord Jesus Christ, declared, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

As a result of the Christian’s positioning in Christ Jesus and because God is faithful, the fact that we are blessed spiritually, at times may manifest in the form of natural blessings as well. That is, God does not just bless his children spiritually but at times, he allows them to benefit from natural blessings as well, whether this be in the form of good relationships, good health and healing, earthly possessions and so on. Not every Christian will be rich but there are some who God blesses in this regard, for his own purposes. Not every Christian will have a house or a spouse but there are some that God will provide these things for, in keeping with his divine will.

In whatever form the blessings come and irrespective of our respective circumstance, I believe that every true Christian experiences God’s hand of blessing naturally, at some point in time in his or her life. It may be in the form of a job opening, where people are still baffled as to how you were selected for the position or it may be in the form of a thriving business that keeps growing and growing against all odds. It may be healing for a condition that doctors told you that you would never be cured of or God causing an upright, godly gentleman to enter your life for the purpose of marriage.

Given that God is faithful, the blessings that he bestows on all of his children, especially those who are obedient to his Word are endless. To name a few, he being a provider, HE PROVIDES for all our needs and sustains us. He being all-wise, HE COUNSELS, LEADS AND GUIDES his children, so that they will make good decisions. Him being a protector, HE PROTECTS those that are his, often fighting on their behalf and against their enemies, so that they are vindicated. Vengeance is his and he repays those that have wronged them.

Undoubtedly, God being our heavenly father, Christians receive great blessings, both spiritually and naturally, although undeserved. However, today, I want to focus on one of the many wonderful characteristics of almighty God, in relation to his children, which is, that HE LEADS.

God wants to lead all of his children and loves it when they come to him in humility and ask him for his help, in making decisions. He loves it when they are honest with him, that they don’t know what to do (like king Jehoshaphat did in 2 Chronicles 20:12) or how to achieve some outcome or are unsure of what path to take and ask him to guide them. He loves it when we seek answers in his Word, which he has given us to guide us and when we come to him in prayer for direction.

When the Israelites were delivered by God with a mighty hand from Egypt and continued on their journey, they had not a clue where they were going. God had promised them that he would get them to the Promised Land but they had no idea where to go or how to get there. Nevertheless, God was with them all the way, going in front of them and leading them through a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night.

On the journey of the Israelites and God’s demonstration of his faithfulness to them, Exodus 13: 20-22 states:

• “And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to LEAD them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”

Despite their rebellion, unbelief and disobedience, which caused them to forfeit the privilege of entering the land that God had promised, the Lord led them through the wilderness for forty years, before he took their children, along with Joshua and Caleb, into the Promised Land.

Of their wilderness experience, Isaiah 48:21 states, “And they thirsted not when he LED them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.”

Earlier, in Deuteronomy 29:5, he told Moses to tell the Israelites, his people, “And I have LED you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.”

Now, there are some that believe, that once you have messed up in life, made certain wrong choices and taken awfully wrong roads, that your situation could never be redeemed and that you are doomed for life. However, when it comes to those who accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, once they confess to the Lord that they sinned against him, first and foremost with a repentant heart, ask for his forgiveness and for him to lead them in moving forward, he is able and willing to do so. God does not say, well you have sinned too much. I want nothing to do with you in moving forward. You are on your own. No. For such people, their sins may have deprived them of certain blessings but God is still able to give them purpose and to use their lives to his honour and glory.

In Psalm 32 for example, after David, in contemplation on his own experiences, declared how blessed it was to receive God’s forgiveness after having sinned and repented, God assured him that he would still lead him in moving forward.

David stated in verses 1-7:

• “Blessed is he whose transgressions is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shall preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.”

Immediately afterward, in verses 8-9, God answered him, informing him that he had not let him go but would still continue to guide him, warning him though, to avoid being stubborn and rebellious to his will and his way.

The scripture reads:

• “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will GUIDE thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.”

That God LEADS AND GUIDES, the servant of Abraham could attest. In Genesis 24, Abraham being of the view that it was time for his son Isaac to marry, he sent his eldest servant to the country where he used to live and to his kindred, to find a wife for him. However, the servant, knowing that he had limited power and judgment and therefore had not a clue as to who would be right for Isaac and knowing that he had no power to force or influence any woman to be willing to leave her country to go to a far away land to be the wife of a stranger, he did not attempt to find this woman for himself or to make a decision on such an important matter on his own. Instead, he humbled himself and prayed to God about the matter, leaning and relying on his leading. He knew that, unless God made his way prosperous, he would either be returning with no woman or with the wrong one.

His master Abraham, also relied on the Lord leading, telling his servant confidently in verse 7, based on what he knew of God’s character and of how he had been faithful to him all his life:

• “The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.”

In obedience to his master Abraham, the servant left and went to the country that Abraham had sent him. When he arrived though, he was not presumptuous as to begin the search for himself but took time to pray to God about the matter. By faith, he asked God to lead and to let him know who he (God) had chosen, by allowing the woman to say a particular thing.

God, pleased with the servant’s faith and that he had sought his direction and leading, provided him with the answer, even before he had finished praying!

The scripture reads:

• “And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand; and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

• And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

• And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

• And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; And said, Whose daughter art thou? Tell me, I pray thee: Is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in? And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.” (vs. 10-25)

That God would have led, so effortlessly, making what seemed like a herculean task for a human being to do, so easy, was reason to bring the servant to his knees. The woman had pretty much confirmed that she was God’s choice for Isaac, as she was from Abraham’s kindred! She clearly had a heart of selfless service (which the servant clearly considered to be important, so much so, that he did not ask God that she be pretty) but God also ensured that she was also beautiful!

With a heart full of gratitude no doubt, for what God had done, as only he alone could do, the servant took some time again to approach God, no doubt, thanking him and praising him for this miracle, that he had worked. Verse 26-27 states, after the woman had answered:

• “And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

As an aside, I want no less in my life, when it comes to the choice of a spouse. Provided it is God’s will for me to marry, despite my age, I want him to lead me and am willing to wait on him until he does so. I cannot read such a beautiful account of what God did here and go out on my own to try to find a spouse for myself. Apart from the fact that the scripture is given for our learning and example, I too want a testimony! I too want to be able to say, look what God has done! I want to see his miraculous hand at work in my life, even as he did for Abraham’s servant. I am therefore praying for his leading in this matter.

This was why, when a guy at work that I found was attractive, was highly recommended by a fellow co-worker, on the basis that he too was a Christian, like me and single, I did not just think that this must be one, not even when he seemed to be showing some level of interest and I wanted him to be the one, badly.

Instead, I took it to the Lord and he let me know, from his Word and through a particular verse of warning, that he was not the one for me. I felt a bit disappointed, as I was tired of all the men that I had liked thus far, not being the one I was to marry. Dashed hopes can be both disappointing and painful. Yet, I submitted to God’s will, knowing he was the all-wise one and thanked him for letting me know, that this man was not it.

I trusted the Lord to lead me and he led me away from the idea that this particular man would be a good choice for me. I did not need to know all the reasons why. I just trusted that he had said no. Some time after that though,I observed things about this guy that did not sit well with me, given what I believe, as a Christian. I realized that we were not agreed on the fundamentals of the faith and my not being prepared to let go of the doctrine I know is true, I realized that this would have never worked out. Whether he is even a Christian, is in dispute.

I believe that God had been faithful in leading me away from that man’s direction and he also removed the attraction I felt for him. Praise God!

Given that God is such an excellent guide, the best there is, we do ourselves a disservice whenever we believe, in our deluded sense of pride, that we don’t need his guidance and that we have the answers. We err, to our own detriment, when we move ahead before him and make decisions, not having sought his counsel and not having waited for it.

There are examples in the Word of God, of people that made great blunders in life because they did not seek God’s advice on a matter or did not wait on his leading hand.

Samson, although created for a godly purpose, made choice after choice, as it pertained to women with whom to enter into love relationships with, without seeking God’s leading. He seemingly was only guided by the fact that the woman pleased him well and made his decision, having no regard for God’s rules on his children not aligning themselves with the ungodly. This led to his eventual downfall. Delilah, the last woman that he was with and trusted, to the extent where he told her his innermost secret and felt safe falling asleep on her lap, duped and deceived him. She deceived him into believing that she loved and cared for him (when she did not), then sold him off to his enemies who wanted to kill him, so that she could enrich herself.

The Israelites, while under Joshua’s leadership, erred greatly by readily accepting the Gibeonites’ story that they were from a far country, based on how they looked and what they said, without first seeking God’s counsel on the matter. As a result, they made a league with them, when in truth and in fact, they were their neighbours and were supposed to be destroyed, as the Israelites had done to the other neighbouring inhabitants.

Joshua 9:3-6 and 12-13 read:

• “And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provisions as dry and mouldy. And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us….This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy: And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.“

The men seemed genuine and by reason of all of the evidence they presented, the Israelites and their leader Joshua (a man who was godly and spiritual), believed their story and so, made a league or a covenant with them, that they would not destroy the Gibeonites. 

However, they did not ask the Lord for guidance on the issue but took matters into their own hands, for which, they regretted afterwards. For, although they made the league because they had been convinced that the Gibeonites truly lived far away and so, posed no threat to them and did not need to be destroyed, they were in fact their neighbours!

Verses 14 to 16, 18 to 19 and 22 read:

• “And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them…And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel.

• And all the congregation murmured against the princes. But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them…And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?”

This incident demonstrates, that allowing God to lead, keeps us from deception. No matter how spiritual we are as human beings, we have limited knowledge and are prone to making mistakes in judgment. We can be duped by how a situation or a person appears (people are good actors and we are in the age of deception) and therefore, this underscores the need for us to seek the Lord’s guidance and wisdom.

The apostles did this in Acts 1:23 – 26, where, in needing to choose a replacement for Judas and presented with two options, they did not presume to know what to do in and of themselves. Instead, they humbly went to the Lord to ask him to lead, him being the only one that knew the hearts of men. The Bible states:

• “And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot felt upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”

Samuel also listened to God’s counsel, him having been sure that Eliab, Jesse’s eldest son was the man that God had appointed to be king. However, he was wrong, although he was so spiritual and in close walk with God. To his surprise, despite how honourable Eliab seemed on the outside, in terms of his appearance, God told him that he had rejected him.

1 Samuel 16:6 -7 reads of Jesse’s sons:

• “And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him. But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

Samuel was therefore prevented from making a colossal mistake and anointing the wrong one, by him being in a position in his relationship with God, where he was able to hear his counsel and submit to his leading.

Whether it is the choice of a spouse, the direction you should take in life, your purpose, your career, whether you should apply for a particular position or anything else, the Lord wants to lead you. It doesn’t matter if it is a big issue or seems to be a small issue. God loves you and wants you to be a success. He therefore invites you, as the all-knowing, all-wise and all-powerful one, to approach him to ask for guidance, through prayer and to also read his Word, the Bible, where he gives counsel.

In Proverbs 3:5-6, a wise parent admonishes the son, that in order to have “length of days, and long life, and peace…” (vs. 2), that, among some other principles, he should be sure to trust in the Lord’s leading.

The son was told, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall DIRECT thy paths.”

On how wonderfully God leads and directs, the Psalmist stated of his Word in Psalm 119:104-105, “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

In Psalm 23:1-4, David also confidently declared that God’s leading was one that he could trust, even if it meant that he had to traverse the valley of the shadow of death.

He stated:

• “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he LEADETH me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he LEADETH me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Of a truth, the road that God leads may be longer, more arduous and seemingly more rocky than the other routes. However, it is and has always been the best path to take. For, given that he is the best Conductor there is and that ever will be, you are guaranteed to get to a good place, the best place. Conversely, all the other roads lead to downfall, misery and regret, no matter how inviting and accommodating they may initially seem.

The Lord LEADS. Why not submit yourself under his mighty hand completely, trust him and allow him to guide you through this life? Why not find answers to your questions and wisdom to make the right decisions, through his Word? Why not pray to him to ask for his intervention when you simply don’t know what to do and which is the right path to take?

Of a truth, there would be must less heartache, much less tragedy and much less regret, if we simply sought God’s guidance on issues and waited on him to lead us.

(Written on 19th September, 2024)

Dear Reader, if you found the above Article to be interesting, informative, beneficial or edifying, you may also be interested in the following:

• Note 185 – ‘The Sheep And The Shepherd’
• Note 259 – ‘God The Master Builder’
• Note 262 – ‘Why We Should Let God Direct Our Path’
• Note 273 – ‘He Wants To Be Enquired Of’
• Note 304 – Are You Hardening Your Heart To God’s Voice?’

Also, under the ‘SINGLE Daughters’ page:

• Note 137 – ‘Who To Marry?’
• Note 274 – ‘I Being In The Way, The Lord Led Me – A Match Made In Heaven’
• Note 317 – ‘God’s Choice = The Best Choice’
• Note 323 – ‘When God Gives You The Green Light’
• Note 325 – ‘Should I Look For Love On An Online Dating Site?‘
• Note 327 – ‘God – The Best Gift Giver’
• Note 332 – ‘The Limitations Of Man’
• Note 338 – ‘Measure That Man Against The Yardstick Of God’s Word’
• Note 340 – ‘Is Matchmaking Of God?’

Additionally, under the ‘BROKEN Daughters’ page:

• Note 34 – ‘Wisdom Is The Principal Thing’
• Note 64 – ‘The God That Never Leaves Us Or Forsakes Us’

Also, under the ‘COURTING OR ENGAGED Daughters’ page:

• Note 74 – ‘Pre-marital Counselling – Is It Necessary?’

He leadeth me song – My heavenly Father he leadeth me.