HE LEADETH ME!

HE
LEADETH ME!

Ps
23:2-3

2 He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth
me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

           
Twice the word “leadeth” is used in these precious and familiar verses. In
verse two the original word is nahal which literally means “to
run with a sparkle!” There are a couple of ways to view this word and make it
more graphic for our times. The first is to imagine a little lamb running and
jumping as he discovers he is near a place where he can get a cool drink. The
second is to recall the last time you saw a toddler wearing those tennis shoes
that light up when you stomp your feet. Oh, how they love to run with a
sparkle.

           
The second time the word is used the original word is nachah
which means “to transport.” How many times have we heard that the Children of
Israel were “carried away into one captive country or another? This is the
force of this word. Not only to guide but to carry away.

I
suppose it is possible for a Christian to dig in his or her heels and refuse to
budge when God says it is time to move out. It is possible, but not advisable.
Our way never takes us any place worth going. We run into hazards we never knew
were there. God knows. That is why He doesn't leave the driving to us.
Sometimes we argue with Him over His ultimate destination for our lives. We do
not want to be a pastor or a missionary or a school teacher or policeman or
whatever it is God has planned for our particular lives. Usually our resistance
comes from our incomplete knowledge of what He can and will do in that place.

As
God guides us, He still knows what He is doing. The unpleasant surprises that
spring up along the way do not take Him by surprise. We want to run and hide,
but the Lord calls back to us to keep on trusting, keep on following. Other
times we want to settle down in a place the Lord says we are just passing
through. We wonder why we can't stay longer, but He doesn't answer. All He says
is the same thing He said to the fishermen along the shore of the Sea of
Galilee, "Follow Me. I know where I am going."

(from
Names of God's Promises © 1998 by Mark A. Tabb. All rights reserved.)

Dear
Lord, let me not drag my feet when you are trying to lead me. Don’t allow me to
mistake a pause for a destination. AMEN