We call God our Father. That got me thinking about the ways our parents (good parents) love us. There are ways that parents love us, that maybe nobody else in our life ever will. Our parents care about our identity, our safety, our guidance, and our milestones. So in this week’s series, we’re going to examine how God, our Father, cares about those things too.
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From our first steps to our first car to our first home, parents are supposed to be there guiding us. They make sure we don’t fall, they keep us away from obstacles and dangers, and they help us make good decisions. With our earthly parents, the goal is for us to become independent, to get to the point where we don’t need them as much, and maybe even to the point where we are caring for them. But with God, His guidance is lifelong. Yes, we should get better at recognizing good from evil, and knowing the kinds of things that are in His will, but we should never stop looking to Him for guidance.
He was declared a guide, a light, and good counsel in the Old Testament:
Deuteronomy 31:8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
Psalm 16:7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.
In the New Testament, Christ was shown to be our guide from the start. It was part of Zechariah’s prophecy over the baby Jesus, that He would:
Luke 1:79 ...to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
And also appears in:
Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
We all need guidance throughout our lives. We need help with decisions both big and small. God wants to provide that guidance. But just like with our earthly parents, we have to go to Him to ask the question, and we have to actually listen and actually follow, if we want to benefit from His guidance.
When was the last time you asked God for guidance on something?
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