God is Our Rock!

Chaco National Monument ~photo by William Conk

If I were going on a safari, I would want a guide who had the fire power to stop a charging wild beast from devouring me. If I were traveling through the desert, I would want a guide who knew where all the wells were located. If I were traveling through the jungle, I would want a guide who knew the trail and could get me to my destination.

As we travel through life we need more than tips or well intended advice, we need a true Guide. We need a true Guide because we need to be guided. Sadly, many people seek guidance from guides who do not know the way and lead them to dead ends. God is the only true, trustworthy, fully qualified Guide there is who can rightly direct our steps and lead us in the way we should go. If we have the right Guide, we will know the right guidance.

We must first yield ourselves to God before we can know His guidance. God wants to rule in our hearts before He guides us and directs our steps. Guidance comes out of relationship. Elisabeth Elliot, in her book on guidance, reminds us that “When God spoke to Moses from out of the burning bush, first came the ‘I Am’ then came the ‘Do this.’” When it comes to our future, Elisabeth Elliot also reminds us that, “God knows the way, He has been over every foot of it.”

The Palmist, David, tells us in Psalm 31:3, “For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name's sake, lead me and guide me.” Before David asked God to lead and guide him, David knew that God was his rock and fortress—his safety, his protection, and security. Because David trusted God for his life, he could also trust God for his future. For David, God’s guidance also meant God’s glory. David did not ask God to guide him in ways that would make David look good, but that would exalt the Lord’s name.

For the believer, God’s guidance is one of the greatest issues that must be settled in the heart. God’s guidance is what separates the believer from the world. God is looking for those who want His way in their lives instead of their own way. The ones who know God’s guidance are those who have said in their hearts, “God, I am trusting in your plans for my life instead of pursuing my own plans.”