Proverbs 3:5-6 states – “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean NOT unto your own understanding, in ALL your ways acknowledge God and HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATHS…” Abba Father God delights in leading us. David prayed in the famous Psalm 23:2-3 – “He (the Lord) makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.”
When we allow God to lead us, we are making the best choice in life. History proves that those who were led by Father God, had the greatest successes. In 2 Samuel 5:19, when king David inquired of the Lord if they should attack the Philistines who came in “full force” to against them; “…The LORD answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.” Our victorious heavenly Father WILL lead and deliver us into triumph when we allow Him the right to help us! All we need to do is to surrender everything into His capable, loving hands and trust Him.
David often prayed for God to LEAD him. In Psalm 15:4 (NIV) he prayed – “Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.”
Verse 4 in the NLT version says – “…point out the road for me to follow.”
Often our hearts want things that are not good for us. Abba Father lovingly and willingly is committed to lead us in the right paths which are according to His blessed will for us. It is essential in life to ask Christ, through the presence of the dear Holy Spirit in our lives, to lead us daily in our thoughts and decisions. Sometimes Abba Father takes His perfect time to work out our circumstances for us. We need patience. God promised Abraham and Moses that He would multiply and lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, but it only came to pass under Joshua’s leadership.
Job suffered greatly and initially he lost everything dear to him, including his many children and his livelihood, yet he said in Job 23:10 – “But He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” THAT is what our Lord desires from us, that even in the most difficult circumstances, in the toughest situations, that HE will be trusted and glorified!
Abba Father promises to be with us during hard times. He says in Isaiah 49:10 (and I modify it to us) “We will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on us. He who has compassion on us will guide us and lead us beside springs of water.” That echoes Psalm 23 that He leads us besides still waters. That happens when we are still before Him, listen to Him, follow Him, and realize His leadership, His loving care and His desire for HIS best for us.
Perhaps we want to lead ourselves according to our own determinations. Yes, we do have free choices, and probably various options. Abba Father is never forceful and He does not remove our choices and decisions, but when we humbly submit to Him and ASK and ALLOW Him to lead us; He will plant the right desires in our hearts and guide us in the correct paths that will ultimately lead to blessings and spiritual satisfaction that benefit us greatly. As God’s children, we NEED to be LED Him. Romans 8:14 (ESV) says – ”For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons/daughters of God.”
Precious Father God, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105) Please forgive me where I did not dwell in Your word or follow Your lamp to light my paths. I often made my own choices which led me astray or led down the wrong path. You, in Your grace and loving mercy desire to lead me in ways that are right, pleasing and fruitful, not only for Your Kingdom, but also to bring about blessings, contentment and fulfilment for me. Thank You that You want to walk beside me and guide me before I make mistakes. Today I commit all my future paths to You because I only see what is in front of me, but You see ahead. Please give me the faith to believe Hebrews 11:1 which says – “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” You are here with me now, yet You also see ahead and are aware of my hope and wishes and my future. Please ”lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness… make Your way straight before me”. (Psalm 5:8 (ESV)
Please help me to make the right decisions according to YOUR plans and purposes for me, because Your paths are the right ways and You already know the correct outcomes when I choose Your paths and not my own.
Myrt Grimm-Turunen