April 19, 2023
(part 1) Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
The way. Our Great Shepherd has gone before us to light the way back to the tree of life. He not only lights the path for His sheep, He leads. And often He carries. But there is more. His Holy Spirit speaks softly into our ears from behind, reminding us of the truth in which we are to traverse. It is our choice, but He has generously provided all that we need to proceed safely toward Home. Staying on the right path means never being ambushed from the rear.
Walking in the way brings positive influences upon others. Our genuine care for others is letting our light shine (Matthew 5:16). It is a vital part of Yahweh’s plan for the display of His love. Displaying His love ought to be personally incorporated into my day-by-day life. Through my prayerful actions, the truth of His love may ‘dawn on’ others. Indeed, our fallen world is overrun with those who have never been shown the love of God, much less made to understand that He loves them personally!
Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Isaiah 58:8
It is truly amazing that our glorious LORD wants to use broken people to reach and teach other broken people. Do not wait until you have supposedly “arrived” to share Him with others. The very act of caring for someone else is part of His healing plan for you! God’s glory is manifested in the truth-affirming actions and words of His love that flow through you when you are not focused on your past failures. Are you thankful to know that you have a rear guard?
The spiritual armor we are given in Ephesians 6:10-18 knows nothing of protecting our backsides. We are to hone our attentions forward, in the confident knowledge that the Savior has laid hold of each of us for His purposes of kingdom building.
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14