The Lord Goes Before Me

By Pastor Mary Capper

 If He said it, He will do it

If you've ever journeyed into something new, there probably have been varying levels of excitement, anticipation, resistance, and perhaps even fear. Hearing from someone who has gone before can often ease these emotions, but what happens when God calls you into the unknown… Where no one has been before? Do you trust in God? Do you believe that he has a plan?

When Joshua was stepping into a new job succeeding Moses and leading the Israelites into the unknown and unseen Promised Land, he knew there would be difficult times, possibly even resistance and wars. Taking this job would require faith, encouragement, and trust in God. As a result, Moses reminded him that the LORD would go before him and be with him. Joshua only needed "To be strong and courageous" and let go of fear (Deuteronomy 31:8).

 
Perhaps there are situations in which God is asking you to step into the "new," the "stretch," or even the "different."  When faced with these situations, like Joshua, we are to take each step with strength and boldness KNOWING that the Lord not only goes before us establishing His way but also that he will be with us.
 
You can be encouraged to know that when the Lord goes before you…

He makes the rough places smooth (Isaiah 45:2) – you don’t need to worry about all the things that “won’t work out.” He goes before you to ensure it will!
 

He will fight on your behalf (Deuteronomy 1:30) - you don’t need to exhaust yourself on a battle that belongs to the Lord. Let go, pray, and trust him to fight the battles which you cannot.
 

He will provide what’s needed along the way (Exodus 13:21) – whilst, on their journey, the Israelites were guided by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Think about it, the cloud provided shade and moisture needed for protection from the desert sun by day, and the fire provided the heat and light needed to guide their way at night. God knows what is ahead of you and will provide what’s needed at just the right time.
 

He will also be your rear guard (Isaiah 52:12) – there is comfort in knowing that as you trust him with what’s ahead, he is also protecting you from anything that may come from behind.
 

He leads you for HIS name's sake (Psalm 23:3) – our Heavenly Father is the God of his Word. If He said it, He will do it! Psalms remind us that he “leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” His character and reputation are on the line…this is about Him, not you.

 
Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Do this, knowing that he has already gone before you, and He knows how to help you along the way.

The Lord Goes Before Me