Recently I was being directed by a new-found colleague to the location for a meeting we were attending. All was good – we were a group of six, and the conversation was lively. Suddenly I heard, ‘Nicqi, this way, not that way!’ Without realizing it, I’d walked ahead with another who had never been to that venue before. With my current map-reading skills, it would have taken me a while to get myself oriented in the right direction. We very nearly were totally lost.
Has that happened to you before, where distractions led to lostness? What did you do, how did you get back on track? What about in other spheres of life – some of us get distracted and lose our way. Today’s Holy Nougat offers an antidote:
“You do what is right, and I ask you to guide me. Make your teaching clear because of my enemies.” Psalms 5:8 CEV
“Lead me in the right path, O Lord, or my enemies will conquer me. Make your way plain for me to follow.” Psalms 5:8 NLT
Let the Lord Lead
As this is part of a Davidic psalm, we know that the context may have been as straightforward as a prayer request before battling Goliath, evading Saul or his son Absalom (scholars think it’s the latter); or a direct request for help when he was exiled. Whichever the case, David had a real moment of ‘Fear vs Faith’, and from the frame we have here, faith won.
Siblings, that Fear Factor is real. It is very easy to be so overwhelmed by Fear, that we forget about Faith. Asking God to lead us is an act of faith. It’s like handing the reins of power over, and placing ourselves at God’s mercy. Or more literally, allowing ourselves to go in God’s direction.
Not
Always
Easy
Forfeiting the reins is not easy for some of us. It might be undiagnosed unresolved trauma, competitiveness, or abundant self confidence behind that attitude. Whatever the reason, the truth is there are aspects of our lives for which we are led – whether by AI, humans or nature. And in those moments we must surrender the reins.
I have found that when I get disoriented or lost, it helps when I turn to God. Of course, there are moments when I’m distracted and there goes that. Now God may allow nature, other people, or even signposts or maps to assist me. But I feel better equipped to lean on those when I’ve asked God’s direction first.
This becomes even more essential when caught between a rock and a hard place, or the devil’s at our heels. Then, there’s limited time to negotiate or determine whether God’s our best bet. Knowing in advance God’s track record in the lives of biblical folks and in our contemporary lives helps us to choose Faith, even if we respond ‘I believe! Lord please help my unbelief!’
Let’s practice with the little things, so that when the enemy comes at us, we are ready for our Lord’s Leadership. Doable? We surely can try.
And so we pray, ’Lead me, guide me along the way. Lord if You lead me I will not stray … Lead me oh Lord, lead me.’
