“What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him makes it” (Psalm 18:30 MSG).
There are times when I would like God to hand me a map.
I want to know where I am going, how long it will take to get there, what obstacles I will encounter, and preferably where I should turn to avoid them.
Instead, God often asks us to walk with him without showing us the whole route.
We can find this frustrating, especially when we have an important decision to make. We wonder whether we should move forward or wait. We question if we have taken a wrong turn. We worry that one poor decision will take us completely off course.
Yet Scripture repeatedly describes God as our guide. He knows where we are going, what we need to notice, and what we can safely ignore.
Psalm 18 describes God’s directions as “road-tested.” I like that image. God is not directing us along a route he hopes might work. His wisdom is trustworthy.
That does not mean his way will always feel smooth. Life with God can include steep climbs, unexpected detours, waiting, and roads we would rather not travel. Sometimes we only recognize his guidance when we look back.
But an unfamiliar road is different from an unsafe road when God is our guide.
God’s guidance also requires something from us. We have to listen. We have to be willing to follow rather than continually insist on going our own way. And sometimes we have to move forward when we would rather remain still until everything is certain.
Often we want the whole map when God gives us the next step.
So, what do you need direction on today? Perhaps you are making a decision about work, family, finances, a relationship, or your future. Or maybe you simply need wisdom for the conversation or task directly in front of you.
Bring that specific need to God. Ask him to guide you. Then pay attention to Scripture, the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, trustworthy people, and the way God may already be directing your steps.
For yourself: Where do you most need God’s direction right now?
For another: Who needs wisdom and clarity about the way forward?
Forgiveness: Where have you insisted on following your own direction instead of listening to God?
Gratitude: When can you look back and see that God guided you well, even though you could not see it at the time?
Bring those reflections to God.
Pray
God my Guide, you know where I am going even when I cannot see the road ahead. Forgive me for the times I have rushed ahead of you or insisted on taking my own way. Give me wisdom for the decisions I need to make and patience where the next step is not yet clear. Open my ears to your voice and my heart to your direction. When the road is unfamiliar, help me remember that you go before me and remain with me. Keep me close to you, and give me courage to take the next step you show me. Amen.
