Leading

It is hard to read the Scripture and come to the conclusion that life is lived apart from the leading of God.  Now, some find the idea of life being directed by God to be a bit far fetched.  For them life is determined by human choices.  Things like education, marriage, career, birth location, and the circumstances of life are the things that direct how life is lived.  However, it seems much more far fetched to consider life without God being actively involved in how we live.

 

When we look at the Word, the first wanderer we run into is that old Hebrew known as Abram.  God leads him all over the Middle East.  He takes him from Hebron into Israel and down to Egypt and back again.  Along the way Abram becomes Abraham.  And, in a like manner young Joseph and Mary find themselves being directed by God to leave their homeland and go as refugees into Egypt and then later back home again.  As we read about the record of the early church, we see disciples being led to Jerusalem to wait for the Spirit and then after they got so comfortable in Jerusalem that leaving was impossible, the Spirit compelled the new Apostles to scatter into the world. 

 

To read the Biblical record is to see that God's hand was upon the lives of people who are no different than you and me.  It was not mere coincidence that directed their journeys.  And neither does mere coincidence have directing power on ours.  God uses those things which are a part of our lives to move us into the circumstances which are a part of His plan for us.  Everything about our life is but a useful tool in His hand to speed us on our way.  Being open at every corner for the leading hand of God not only makes sense, but also enables us to stay in step with what God in doing in our lives.