Let Him Do The Driving

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Should I, or shouldn’t I? Have you ever had a thought pop into your head, a suggestion about something that might be interesting or valuable to do, and then wondered if it was just a thought that wasn’t worthy of being considered at all? We have lots of those—in the dead of winter a vacation in a warmer climate might come to mind, but practicality soon puts that to rest. Other ideas linger. You chew over them, working out the possibilities in your mind. Everything feels good. Everything feels possible, but you still aren’t sure whether your own desires have overruled the voice of the Spirit of God telling you to put this one to bed too.

Many years ago, when I was considering what to do with my life, there were some measuring sticks that we had been advised to used when determining whether or not the Spirit of God was leading us in a specific direction.

The first of these was the counsel of the Word of God. Certainly God never leads us to do something that defies the instructions He has left us in the Scriptures. And, as we seek His will and the means by which we can bring Him glory in our lives, He promises to guide us in the way. That is the essence of verses such as Proverbs 3:5, 6, which says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

As I begin this new year and think about the opportunities it may present, and whether or not these opportunities are to be embraced or set aside, this morning’s verse also came into play. It is from Exodus 23:20. The children of Israel were making their way to the promised land. They were marching into the unknown, probably wrestling with the what, where, how, who, when, of their future lives.

God delivers a message to them through His servant, Moses.

“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.” (Exodus 23:20). Israel is to follow the angel’s instructions to the letter and avoid any acts of rebellion, disobedience, and stubbornness. But aside from the negative instructions, the positive assurance brings comfort to me. It reminds me of something that Hudson Taylor, the great missionary of the past, once said: “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”

What God has planned for us is already a “done deal.” The place is already prepared for us. The journey may be long and fraught with challenges, but the end is already determined and our companion on the trip is standing by to make sure we get where He wants us to go and accomplish what He had ordained that we accomplish.

What a wonderful promise to hug to our hearts! We sit, like that little boy, clutching the steering wheel, “driving” the car of our lives, while the hands of God cover ours and do the real work!