A significant theme throughout the Scriptures is that God goes ahead of us. How does knowing that make you feel? Before the Lord created Adam, He prepared the earth; on the sixth day, when all was designed, the Lord brought him into the world. When the Israelites wandered in the desert, the Lord went ahead of them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 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. [1]
God Goes Before Israel as They March Around Jericho
The Lord gave a unique battle plan to Joshua to conquer the city of Jericho that would require faith. God’s plan involved the Israelites marching around Jericho led by the priests and the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of God and contained the ten commandments, a jar of mana, and Aaron’s rod.
Joshua 6:4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day, you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town. [2]
God Goes Before You
Jesus lived before I was born. He came to this world to die on the cross for my sins and rose again on the third day. Forty days after His resurrection, the Lord ascended to heaven. What a blessing! The Lord has gone ahead of us.
But what happens in life if we get ahead of the Lord? There have been times when I have failed to let the Lord lead. I have moved forward without checking in with God about where He wants me to go. Sometimes I fail to lean on the Lord for protection because I think I can deal with this situation alone. Yet the Lord did not die for my sins, so I would have to go it alone.
I have experienced times when I looked in the wrong direction for support. I tried to rely on my strength and failed to look to God for all I needed. If we allow the Lord to surround us along our faith journey, He will lead us in the right direction. We can be thankful the Lord is behind us, beneath us, and beside us. Life is much easier when we humbly let the Lord go before us.
To learn how God goes ahead of us, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/journey-victory
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Dt 31:8). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jos 6:4–5). Tyndale House Publishers.