THE WAY GOD LEADS US

THE WAY GOD LEADS US 

(Message to the Church by Pastor S. Visuvasam on Sunday, 14^th Mar ‘10)

And when we departed from Herob, we went through all that

great and terrible wilderness which ye saw by the way…

- Deut 1:19

Many times when I read this book of Deuteronomy my eyes are filled with tears looking into the way the Lord led the people of Israel through the terrible wilderness which was so impossible to pass through.  God led them in a wonderful way, breaking all the barriers.  He gave them grace to reach their promised destination for which they were brought out of Egypt.

The wilderness life refers to our problems, reproaches, troubles and sufferings.  But the Lord will lead us through all those barriers and hindrances.

The topic for this morning’s message is “The Way God Leads Us”.  It is quite a different way. And while He leads us He will give us grace to go reach our destination for which we are called.

Let us meditate on what are the things the Lord does and also on the blessings He gives us while leading us:

1.  MAKE US POSSESS - BEING WITH US

Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it… fear not neither be discouraged.

- Deut 1:21 

Here the Lord tells them to go and possess the land that was before them. It was a land for which they did not do anything.

The Lord gives us as promised what we did not build or plant.  He gives all these things for us to possess.  The important thing is that we should not fear nor be discouraged.

We are called to be special people therefore God gives us joy and peace but it is that devil that gives fears and doubts and discourages us in every possible way trying to pluck out the blessings and to hinder those blessings from coming to us.

What hindered their blessings?

a) They Doubted

vs. 22 - We will send men before us, and they shall (spy) search us out the land…

Here again since they had doubts so they tested or spied the land – the blessing which the Lord gave them. They infact wanted to check out the blessing which the Lord gave them to see if it was true as promised. There is no need for us to test his blessings. But there is only one thing that we need to know and understand – whether the Lord our God is with us or not.  If he is with us we need not worry or doubt about anything.

b) They Murmured

vs. 27 - And ye murmured in your tents…

They started murmuring over what the Lord was doing.  People keep murmuring when the blessings get delayed. It should never be so. Our houses should be a place of praising and not a place of murmuring.  We need to keep confessing in faith and the Lord will do and grant things accordingly. 

Because the Lord is with us he will make us to possess all the blessings, which he has kept in store for us, being with us

2. FIGHT FOR US - BEING ZEALOUS

Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them…

The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you…

- Deut 1:29,30

The Lord our God will fight for us. He will be zealous for us in doing things for us and in defeating our enemies.  Sometimes we might get angry and try to take revenge on those who do evil.  But when we refrain ourselves and leave it into God’s mighty hands he will fight for us.  The battle which the Lord does will be terrible compared to our fight.

3. CARRIES US - GUIDING US

            …thou hast seen how the Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son…

- Deut 1:31

The Lord bare the people of Israel in that wilderness life in such that their shoes were not worn out. 

vs. 32, 33 - …ye did not believe the Lord your God who went in the way before you…

Showing the way is different from guiding the way. Our loving God not only shows us the way but also guides us through, bearing us like a father

4. EXALT US - FEAR OF US WILL GRIP THE PEOPLE

This day will I Begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations… which shall hear report of thee and shall tremble…

- Deut 2:25

The Lord will be with us and make our name great and make our fame spread abroad. Not only that, He will even make our name to be feared by others before the same people who despised us and looked down upon us.

5. GIVE US PEACE - DELIVERING US FROM EVERYTHING

…there was not one city too strong for us: the Lord our God delivered all unto us.

- Deut 2:36

There was no one who could stand or come against the (people) children of Israel because the Lord delivered them. He gave them peace in all quarters.

The Lord will give us peace and deliver us from everything.  But one thing is important i.e., the Lord our God should be with us. If He is with us no one can come against us and harm us.

May the Lord be with us and lead us giving all the blessings we meditated and may the blessing of the Lord be with all of us now and forever.