"Then You Will Know Which Way to Go"

Being the proud mother of two amazing young men, I have a front row seat to watching their lives unfold. It doesn't seem that long ago I was the one making the decisions for them -- when to eat, what to wear, where to go. And I admit, it wasn't easy giving up the power a parent has over their children and letting them go out into the world to make their own decisions...and mistakes. A good parent, after all, doesn't want their kids to suffer, whether from harm or disappointment.  

But life isn't like that. We all have to spread our wings and leave the nest. If we've been blessed with Godly parents who gave us a biblical foundation to stand on, we will hopefully seek God's counsel in the big decisions, like where to go to school, what job to take, and who to marry. God is, after all, the author of our story. He knows the beginning and the end. It's up to us to follow his lead to make sure the middle chapters are full of all the blessings He planned since before we were conceived. 

Sadly, lots of young--and old--people are out there trying to find their way in this dark world without the Light to lead them. As a Christian parent, I did my utmost to make sure my sons knew Jesus Christ. It will, of course, be up to them if they continue to follow him, which is my daily prayer.

When the Israelites were ready to take possession of the Promised Land, a land they had never been in before, they needed direction. God appointed Moses, then Joshua, to lead them. For me, Joshua 3:3-4 says it all:

"When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before."

There is a life-lesson in Joshua's words for all of us!

• "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God" reminds us to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) 

• "...you are to move out from your positions and follow it" tells us we may have to move if we're going to continue following God's lead in our lives. It may be a physical moving, a mental moving or a spiritual moving. 

• "Then you will know which way to go..." isn't about getting good directions (aka advice) from your friends and family. It's about knowing Who is in the lead and Whom you choose to follow.

• "...since you have never been this way before." None of us know what tomorrow holds. None of us know where we will be a year from now. But God does. He knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). He knows the path we need to take to get where we're going. We've never been there, but God holds all our tomorrows in His hands. Trust Him!!

Do you know where you're going?

God does!

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:

USA, Ukraine, Argentina, Brazil, Israel, Philippines, South Korea, Germany