God goes before us throughout our lives, although we may not realize it at the time. In 2008 we moved to accept a new ministry position. My son was a freshman in high school and had to leave all his childhood friends behind. At his new school, he soon met three young men who became his friends and are still good friends years later. In God’s grace, He had gone before him.
We may not know what is ahead of us, but the Lord knows and goes before us because He is the Good Shepherd. There came a day when you were born, but it was not random. The Lord went before you to select your parents, where and when you were born, and your physical characteristics. The Lord also developed a plan for your life just for you to fulfill. Psalm 139:16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. [1]
The Lord Went before Joseph’s Brothers
Joseph’s brothers had sinned against him by selling him into slavery. But God brought good out of that by using these circumstances to prepare Joseph for God’s plan for his life. In addition, Joseph had gone from a slave to the Pharaoh’s top official after he interpreted a dream for him. Years later, Joseph’s brothers came to purchase grain from him and were shocked when he revealed who he was and how the Lord had gone before them.
Genesis 45:4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt. [2]
The Lord Goes Before You
Are you feeling anxious about the future? If so, you are not alone. The good news is that whatever situation you face, rest assured that the Lord has gone before you. He knows what is ahead of you and will be with you as He guides you into an unknown future.
Deuteronomy 31:8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” [3] Take the hand of the Good Shepherd and let Him guide and comfort you as He cares for you.
To learn how God goes before us, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/joseph-reveals-his-identity
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.