Following God as Our Guide - iBelieve Truth - November 15, 2023
"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'” Isaiah 30:21 NIV
Our family recently took a short, three-hour road trip to visit relatives in another state. We planned for everything: rest stops to use the bathroom, places to eat, and a nice place to stay.
We also relied heavily on the GPS that was built into my mother’s well-traveled car. She carefully used it to navigate and drive us safely to our destination and home again. I marveled at seeing my Mom faithfully follow every twist, taking every turn without questioning the voice that spoke through the GPS. She knew that she could trust it and that if she followed it completely, we’d reach the right place. It made me wonder how we don’t always follow God as our Guide as closely as we follow a human-made navigation system.
The Creator and King of the Universe has knowledge and wisdom beyond our understanding. The Bible says that God “knows the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10). It’s daunting to wrap our minds around that truth. Above all human reasoning, God knows best. He is infinite and all-knowing, but we are finite and short-sighted. God can be trusted completely because He has our best interests at heart. But how often do we struggle to trust Him and hesitate to follow Him?
Time and time again, God has proven that He is Sovereign and knows what is best for my life. But often, my stubborn streak gets in the way of allowing God to guide me. This usually happens in situations where I think I know what is best. We’ve all been there, right?
Whether it’s a career choice, a cross-country move, a traveling expense, or something as simple as what we choose to eat…we all have experienced a time when we thought that we knew what was best for us and so we went for it. Often when we follow our heart’s desires over God’s desires for us, we fall short. We get hurt. Then we come running back to God much like the Prodigal Son returned home to his father after wasting his inheritance.
Now if you have been following God’s lead all of your life and always obeying Him as you allow Him to order your steps in His Word every moment then that is wonderful! Continue being faithful to Him. However, for those of us who could use a little practice at following God as our guide, the good news is that He’s ready to teach us! God as a Master Teacher, knows how to differentiate instruction in the ways we each need it most. He can help us understand concepts that we never thought were possible to comprehend. He can redirect us when we veer off-route. He can safely and effectively help us navigate all the twists and turns in life. If we follow God faithfully, we will reach our ultimate destination (Heaven) in His perfect time.
Our visit with family went well and was filled with memorable moments that made my heart smile. As we packed up to return home, the first thing my Mom did was enter our home address into her car’s GPS. Then she drove us safely there, thanks to letting the instruction guide her journey. Just like obeying the navigator who helped us return safely to our earthly home, our Savior (Jesus Christ) wants to guide all of us safely to our eternal home.
Will we allow Him to help us journey through the mountaintop highs and valley lows of life, following His lead through every surprise, setback, joy, sorrow, trial, and tribulation? If we lean into Jesus and trust Him, we’ll find Him to be a trustworthy and experienced leader—the best Navigator—and He’ll help us arrive safely to our eternal destination.
Let’s Pray: Dear God, Thank You for being our Ultimate Guide. It’s such a comfort to know that when we let You lead us, we will always arrive safely to our destination. Please help us to trust You and follow Your Son, Jesus Christ, all the way to our ultimate destination (Heaven). We love You, Lord. In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Patrick Daxenbichler
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
