This is the Introduction to an upcoming book or website section entitled Divinely Led showing divine leading and guidance throughout my life. It is a developing section that will be progressively added to.
Introduction
After Jesus was resurrected, an angel told the women who came to the empty tomb: “He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him. … – go and meet him.”[1] While on earth, Jesus referred to himself as the good shepherd, who has great care and concern for the sheep, leads them to suitable pastures, protects them, and provides for their needs.[2] The metaphor can also apply to God the Father, who uses angels and spirit guides to lead us to fulfill our purpose in our earthly lives.
There are many examples in the Bible where circumstances were obviously guided and God, which may be through angels, spirit guides, or even people, had gone before His people working things out. These include Abraham’s servant looking for a wife for Isaac; Joseph being sent by God to Egypt ahead of time to secure a future for his large family; Elijah having ravens and a poor widow provide food and drink for him.[3]
The Exodus and wilderness journey to the Promised Land is another marvelous example of God’s leading and preparing the way. God had it all worked out ahead of time – the spoiling of the Egyptians, the Red Sea miracle, the cloud and the pillar of fire, the manna, the water gushing out of rocks, and the many other things.[4] Likewise, in the period of the Judges, God went ahead of Gideon and his tiny “army” when through a dream, the Midianites were thrown into fear and panic before Gideon’s men got to them.[5] Many other examples could be given.
The famous 23rd Psalm, attributed to David and so often read at funerals, sums it all with the analogy of the ancient shepherd leading somewhat helpless, but trusting sheep: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup m overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
The New Testament too has examples of guidance and the way being opened and favors being given. The truth-seeking Ethiopian eunuch just happens to meet evangelist Phillip who was guided ahead of time to approach his chariot.[6] Ananias is sent, to his dismay, to assist Paul who was struck down and turned around on the way to Damascus to arrest Christians.[7] Cornelius was guided to send two servants to fetch Peter and hear the gospel. On the other side, Peter was given a lesson to stop regarding non-Jews as unclean and not hesitate to go with the men asking him to meet with Cornelius. When he preached to Cornelius’ household the good news of salvation, they all experienced the work of the Holy Spirit imparting God’s Divine Love into their souls, just like Jesus’ apostles did at Pentecost.[8]
Even today, God often goes before us in our day-to-day life. We may not always hear angels speaking to us or be receiving visions, but guidance can still be there if we are receptive to it. If we try to think of situations where God prepared the path before us – arranging circumstances, opening or closing doors, giving favors, providing for needs, giving blessings, we may retrospectively become aware of quite a few. He leads us like a good shepherd, sometimes along a longer and more winding path. Just like God did not have Israel travel the direct, shortest road to Canaan for their own good,[9] we too may be led through some detours. As Joseph came to power and prominence via suffering unjust accusations and imprisonment,[10] we also may need to be refined and matured through trials and hardships.
Our Father has many things planned for us ahead of time – including their precise timing. He gives us free choice, yet retains sovereignty to accomplish his will – sometimes in spite of our will. (One day, in our glorified existence, we may understand how this is possible.) And no matter how hard and crooked the path is, how many bruises we sustain along the way, how near we get to despair when we can’t make sense of a tragic and gut-wrenching situation, we can have hope and trust in His promises to be there with us and that all things work together for good in the long run, even if we may not see it at the time. Only if we forsake God may he withdraw from us, but even then, he will be very merciful and longsuffering, wanting nothing but the best for us.[11]
The most significant event is probably the fact that Jesus has gone ahead of us as the author and pioneer of our salvation. He was born like one of us and taught about the re-bestowal and renewed availability of the Divine Love, which the first humans whom the Genesis story calls Adam and Eve, forfeited because of their arrogance, pride and refusal to submit to God. We can again choose to partake of this gift, originally symbolized as the tree of life resulting in the new birth, salvation and immortality. Jesus, when on earth, set an example of a perfect sinless life powered by God’s Love, and became the first of many[12] to inherit the Celestial Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit imparting God’s Love[13] became available to humanity to further guide us and protect us from stumbling. And Jesus is preparing places for us so that one day we, who have accepted the offer of the Divine Love and been developing our souls can be with him in a wonderful reunion.[14]
As Jesus goes ahead to prepare places, provide for us, or show the way, what is our responsibility? He of course wants us to follow him, ideally in faith and trust, and without doubting. He wants to meet with us at the destination – in the Kingdom of God.
In this book / website section, I want to document some of the many instances how God has gone ahead of me in my life even before I knew him, how he led me out of a largely atheistic and oppressive country, and eventually to Himself, and finally how He has led me since. May this story be of encouragement and inspiration to those who read it.
[1] Mathew 28:7-10, 16-20
[2] John 10:10; Psalm 23
[3] Genesis 24:6 ff; Genesis 45:4-8; 1 Kings 17
[4] Exodus 6:2-8 and the rest of the book of Exodus
[5] Judges 7:7 ff
[6] Acts 8:26-40
[7] Acts 9:10-19
[8] Acts 2 and 10
[9] Exodus 13:17-18
[10] Genesis 37 – 41
[11] Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:5, cf. 24:20; Psalm27:10; Hebrews 13:5; Romans 8:28
[12] Romans 8:29-30
[13] Romans 5:5
[14] John 14; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:18.
For other information on divine leading, see Spirit Helpers and Guides