Following the Leader
By Steve Williams
Mitchell County
Following the leader used to be a game we would play as children. The Leader would tell you what to do. The main thing was to follow the leader and pay close attention to his instructions. A question we need to be sure of is; Who or What is doing the leading in our lives? If people were, to be honest, many would have to say that they are leading themselves. Again this is an important question because whatever or whoever we depend upon for direction determines our thinking, attitudes, wishes, desires, and ways. Many people today are guided by their emotions, and as a result, they lack the stability that only comes through dependence upon God’s Word. When the Lord is our guide, He gives us the clarity and strength we need to live as He desires—with confidence and trust in Him.
When God rescued the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, He didn’t leave them to find their way to the land He’d promised to give them. No, but the Bible tells us in Exodus 13:21-22, “The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.” He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from the people. They were always complaining about something they didn’t like. Although they were traveling through unknown territory, they would never get lost as long as they followed the pillar of cloud and fire.
Today we have God’s written Word as our infallible guide for life’s journey. The Lord has graciously revealed how He thinks and what He desires so that we can know how to live in a manner that pleases Him. In addition, He has given His Holy Spirit to those of us who have trusted Him to be their personal Savior. The Spirit imparts an understanding of God’s Word, gives guidance, and enables us to follow and obey. It’s important to align our thoughts with the Lord’s because our thinking determines how we live.
If we rely on our own ideas rather than God’s truths, we’ll end up on the wrong path and waste valuable time. When the Israelites took their eyes off the Lord and focused on the obstacles, they rebelled against His instructions and refused to enter the Promised Land. As a result, they ended up wandering in the desert for 40 years until that entire generation died. Many people today are wandering in the desert of life due to not following the true leader of this world, Jesus Christ.
To be guided by God, we cannot live automatically without giving Him a thought, relying on our emotions for guidance, or looking around and imitating what everyone else is doing. Nor can we deliberately go our own way like the children of Israel did. If we’ve trusted Jesus as Savior, we must also trust Him as Lord and yield to His leadership and direction by opening our Bibles to see what He has said.
Reading God’s Word every now and then will not be sufficient if we seek to live as He desires in a world opposed to Him and the truths that we believe. We must allow God’s Word and God’s Spirit to lead us in the uncertain day that is before us.
Words of Wisdom:
- I don’t have the strength or wisdom to get through a single day without guidance and grace from God. Tony Dungy
- The truth is we are all searching and looking for guidance, that’s why it is important to search God’s Word before we move forward in life. N/A
- A man’s pride can be his downfall, that is why he needs God’s guidance. N/A
- Children require guidance, so if you’re a child of God let Him Guide you. N/A
Something to think about: A man was taking his family on vacation. When they came to the road he needed to turn on there was a sign that read, Bridge Out. He said it would be OK. His wife said you better go and ask someone which way we should go. He said never mind we be able to make it. So he went down the road and sure enough, the bridge was out. So he had to turn around and go back the way he had come. Now when he got back to the main road again, on the back of the sign that read (Bridge Out) it says, WELCOME BACK STUPID. Guidance is important and when we fail to take God’s Guidance and allow Him to lead our lives, we will make some stupid turns in our lives.
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Steve Williams is the pastor of Berry Chapel Baptist Church in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. You can read more good Christian news from Steve HERE.
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