Yesterday morning I was blessed with the opportunity to spend some extra time in prayer as a result of a task I was given. At one point along the way, I was praying for guidance for one of my friends, and the word “guide” really stuck out to me.
As I thought about its meaning, the idea of an Amazon jungle guide came to mind – how a guide not only tells us how to get somewhere, but shows us the way quite literally – physically walking along in front of us, hacking through the underbrush, warning us about obstacles and traps, telling us where to step and where not to step, and at the same time, pointing out beautiful sights along the way. A guide doesn’t just walk the same path that we need to follow, but they walk it before us in order to pave the way and show us where we should go.
That’s what David was talking about in Psalm 139 verse 5 in reference to God – “You go before me and follow me.” We know from numerous passages that God has plans for our lives and that He is faithful to see them to fruition. But He doesn’t just say, “Well, you go down this road, look for that, turn here, then you’re there.” He actually walks with us along the way, guiding us through His Holy Spirit.
Sometimes, yes, it’s scary. We can’t see where we’re going, and can’t tell the path we’re on from the rest of the jungle surrounding us. But when that happens, we can trust our Guide. His goal isn’t just to get us from point A to point B, but to do so in a way that will not just help us arrive at our destination, but to have learned things and grown along the way.