A few years ago when I was reading over the Genesis account of Noah and the building of the ark I came to a startling conclusion: if Noah was wrong and didn’t hear from God, the worst thing that could have happened is that he would have ended up with an arc in his backyard; but if he did hear from God and chose to question and disobey, the worst result would have been he and his family would have died in the flood. I am often asked how one can be sure that they are hearing God’s voice. The answer to that question is usually not easy to hear, Jesus said, “My sheep, they know My voice.” The key to knowing the voice of God is being in loving, intimate, obedient relationship with Him. I believe most of us want to hear from God, but we also want to be sure. We are fearful of taking a chance, of stepping out at the wrong moment, of looking foolish or even worse of having the outcome not be what we had anticipated. Walking with God is not about outcomes, it is about trust. If we follow Him for our perceived benefit we will often be disappointed because our desires rarely line up with His. But if we follow Jesus because He is worthy to be followed then we will never be disappointed because even when the path leads in directions we could have never seen or imagined, it never leads in directions that are not filled with His presence, His peace, His love and His voice.
Oswald Chambers wrote, “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it knows and loves the One who is leading.” If I may be so bold as to add to the incredible writing of Oswald Chambers, I believe that “faith” also knows it is loved by the One who is leading. Isaiah 30:21 says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” The direction is not nearly as important as the Director. If we are focused on the path then we will find ourselves in some positions that will cause us to question the choices we have made, but if we are focusing on God, His love and His guidance then every path will be filled with His presence and in His presence is fullness of joy. Just looking over Scripture we can see some paths that are hard for us to understand: David’s path led to a cave, Joseph’s path led to Egypt; Elijah’s path led to a lonely brook, the path of the three Hebrew men led to a burning furnace, Paul’s path led to Rome and Jesus’ path led to the cross. In each of these examples, looking at the path alone can cause some doubts, but if we look past the path and stay focused on the Leader, then every path ends in joy.
One of my favorite events in Scripture is when Peter walked on water. This is, for me, the greatest example of trusting the Leader more than the path. Jesus is walking on water and Peter asks to come out and join Him. With no hesitation Jesus invited Peter to leave the boat he is sitting in and walk to Him on the sea. Peter summons up enough faith to step out of the boat, he sets his eyes on Jesus and begins to walk on the lake toward Him. As he is walking he notices that the wind is “boisterous” and takes his attention off of Jesus and puts it on the path. At that moment he begins to sink and has to cry out for Jesus to save him. There will be paths in your life that God will call you to that will cause you to question and doubt if you do not keep your attention on Jesus. He leads, He guides, He protects, He provides and He fulfills His promises and His purposes. The path you travel is much less important that the Leader you follow.
When God installed Joshua as the new leader of Israel, the one that would lead them into the Promised Land, He told him three different times, “Be strong and of good courage.” Knowing that strength and courage needed a birthplace, they didn’t just come because they were needed, God first told Joshua, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” And the last thing He told him was “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua’s courage would not be born in battle, but in knowing that God was with him. There are times in our lives in which we need courage, but the truth is, without the promise of God’s presence courage is hard to find. There are times in which we need more strength that we have ever had before, that strength does not come from our effort, it comes from God’s presence. When God called Joshua He knew that He was going to tell him to walk around the walls of Jericho, that there would be defeat in Ai and that the sun would have to stand still over Gibeon. God did not need to share all the details of the journey, every strategy and every battle with Joshua, He only needed Joshua to believe that He would be with him in every step that He took. If Joshua could be sure of God’s presence then he would always be able to muster up enough courage to obey, to believe and to walk in victory.
We all face events in our lives that require strength and courage. We all face seasons that seem to require more faith than we have had before. We all face opposition and we all are presented with opportunities that we are unsure of. I believe that we need to stop being bogged down in the details of each path and start putting our attention and our affection on the presence of God. The truth is that any path that is not filled with God’s presence, no matter what it promises or provides, is the wrong path. The opposite is also true, any path, no matter how dark or unrewarding it appears to be, if filled with God’s presence is the right path.. A few paragraphs earlier I listed a few unexpected paths from Scripture. David may not have ever expected to end up in a cave, but that cave produced protection, provision and the beginning of his mighty men. Joseph did not choose Egypt, but going to Egypt was used that many would be saved. I am sure Elijah was lonely as he spent nearly a year drinking from a brook and being fed by Ravens, but the outcome of his journey was the glory of God and the destruction of the priests of Baal. The three Hebrew men could have avoided the burning furnace, but the furnace provided them with an experience with God and brought God glory, even in the nation of Babylon. Paul did not have to journey to Rome, in the flesh he could have avoided it, but his journey and obedience has brought salvation and strength to millions through his epistles and example. Finally, most never imagined the Messiah on a cross, but Jesus’ trust of His Father, His obedience and love opened the doors of salvation and provided victory over death and hell. Your path might not always go the way you had planned. It may even come to a place in which it seems that it must have gone terribly wrong, but if your path is in God’s presence, hold fast, stay strong and focus more on the Leader than path that you are following. Take courage in God’s presence and find peace in His love. The more fully we trust God and His voice the more desperately we will follow and when we follow hard after God we always reach the destination of His kingdom. Today, please, be willing to look away from the path so you can set your ears on His voice.