The Prepared Way

This morning I was reading about Deborah and Barak in Judges 4 and this phrase stood out to me it is found in verse 14. (emphasis added)

14 And Deborah said to Barak, “Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him. Judges 4:14 (ESV)

 

I wonder how many times in our lives we need to be reminded that the Lord is going before us in everything that we do. Time and again we see in scripture God’s promise of protection and direction if we will only heed his word and follow were he leads. We read in Exodus 23:20-21 of the promise of God to provide direction and safety to Israeli.

 

20 “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Ex 23:20 (ESV)

 

I serve an amazing God we even see this promise in the prophecies of Isaiah in Chapter 45 as Isaiah foretells of the man God has chosen to use to restore Israel from the Babylonian Exile that will not occur in His life time. God prepares for King Cyrus to take control from Babylon and allow Israeli to return home and rebuild the temple in as recorded in Nehemiah and Ezra.

 

2 “I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, Isaiah 45:2 (ESV)

 

These promises did not end with the Old Testament and Israeli they are available to us today. We read in Hebrews 12:2, “2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (KJV)

Some versions of scripture use founder instead of author but I think the King James makes the point a little better yes our faith is found in Jesus. But He is the one writing the story of our walk with Him. You see I can say this with confidence because Jesus told the disciples this very thing in John:

2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? John 14:2 (ESV)

 

One thing that I am certain of is that if God has done it for one He will do it for others when they are willing to let him have control and guide us. I pray God blesses you today as you seek to be in His will and obey His calling on your life.