“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
Dear Ones:
How is it possible to believe that God works all things together for good, if we do not believe in the words of the old hymn: “All the way my Savior leads me, what have I to ask beside?” Guidance, assurance, and peace go hand in hand with regard to KNOWING that the Great Shepherd of the sheep does not make mistakes, and most certainly leads His sheep, calling them by name, and going before them as He leads them forth in His peace. But, what are the qualifications for being led, and being assured of it, even when the circumstances are not what we would have chose, and where we meet with opposition from without in various ways, and by various people?
The first thing we need to know about being led is that “goats” are hard to lead. What is the difference between a goat and a sheep? The answer lies in their essential nature. Generally speaking, the sheep is compliant, and yields to pressure, even gentle pressure put upon it. Not so with the goat. All one has to do is put one’s hand on the forehead of a goat, push against it, and find that the goat pushes back. There is resistance to the will of another, because naturally the goat will not submit. When Jesus Christ calls the individual to follow him, that individual cannot follow who is not willing to forget himself, even repenting of his own way and means to follow Christ. The Lord goes so far as to say that every day the believer is to take up his cross, an instrument of death designed to deliver us from self, sin, Satan, and the world. It is only the “free” man who can, will, and desires to follow Christ. It must be said at this point that to deny oneself, and take up one’s cross to follow Christ, is only possible by the grace of God. Christ must come to break the power of sin in the life by the new birth, the work of the Spirit. This He will do for the one who will truly cry unto Him to be saved, and delivered. The first step in being “led,” and recognizing it, is being willing to be led, not leaning to one’s own understanding or resources.
The second thing to implement in the life, if one is to know how to follow, and how to be led, is true prayer. As faith comes by the hearing of the word of God, one must search the Scriptures to learn how God wants us to pray. We have the example of men and women throughout Scripture who have prayed, and God has answered. We also have the teaching on the subject of prayer by the Lord Jesus Himself, followed by the complementing examples and teaching of the Apostles. One begins this act and attitude of praying by using the word of God. For example, David prayed very specifically in Psalm 25:4-5: “Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation: on Thee do I wait all the day.” Here is a man who will be answered by God because he is receptive, and teachable. Secondly, David realizes that God alone can do the work of God, to reveal and show him His ways. How else will he learn them? Thirdly, David desires to know the truth, not some ephemeral speculation or imagination of men. He wants to be taught the truth, the eternal truth. The psalmist then takes the position of faith, which is so essential for believing God specifically, and looking expectantly for the answers to his prayer. David writes: “Thou art the God of my salvation: on Thee do I wait all the day.”
The man who prays aright, is certainly on the path of knowing the leading of God in his life.
Dear Father: Teach us to pray with assurance, being led by Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad