And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. John 10:4
We had no time left, so we had no choice but to overload the wagon as we made our way home from the woodlot. My brothers and I were responsible for balancing the load, and making sure it did not tip or spill, causing us extra work and time wasted. We had to cross fields that were rough and uncertain, and the wagon lurched and twisted, almost spilling the load every few seconds. We pushed and braced, and dashed from one side of the wagon to the other, to keep the load intact. We would never have accomplished the task if our father on the tractor had not warned us about every dip and bump, and if we had not jumped quickly to heed his words. Finally, we made it to the lane near the house, and had smooth going for the rest of the way. It was rough, but we had somebody going ahead, to guide and encourage us. Christians have such a guide and encourager too.
No matter how rough our pathway seems – and we will all hit some pretty rough stretches on our Christian pathway – we can be comforted by the assurance that our Lord has already travelled the path. Nothing that happens to us ever catches Him by surprise. Like a shepherd, He leads where He knows we can follow, even if it takes some pain and effort on our part. He never takes His own children along a route that is too difficult for us to endure – and that’s a promise! Because He goes before, He knows everything we will encounter, and will give us what we need to make the journey a success.
Just as us boys could trust our father’s instructions, we as Christians can trust the Guidebook that our Lord has provided. Because We know the Author, we can be confident in its instructions. We can trust the promises, heed the exhortations, rejoice at the blessings, and follow the directions. Unlike the guidebooks of earth, there are no steps missing, no fuzzy descriptions, no unfinished instructions. Our Shepherd’s voice from His Scriptures is a safe and certain sound that fills us with confidence, courage, and expectation.
The rough part of the path will drive us to our knees to seek comfort and guidance. The smooth part of the path will drive us to the Bible for strength and courage for the road that remains to be travelled. -Jim MacIntosh