Guided by the Lord

“And He guided them by the right way, so as to go to a city to live in.” (Psalms 107:7)

In his psalm, David calls for praise to the Lord for His goodness and wonderful works. In this specific Scripture, David speaks how the Lord led the Israelites. Asaph, David’s the lead singer writes they were led by Moses and Aaron (Psalms 77:20) and through the wilderness like sheep (Psalms 78:52). It’s amazing enough that the Lord in His mercy led the Israelites. That Moses and Aaron heard from the Lord is even more amazing. We have to remember that they didn’t have the Holy Spirit indwelling. But the Spirit of God rested on them and endued them with power to hear spiritually. They also had the pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. “And Jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the right away, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, to go by day and night.” (Exodus 13:21)

Some may yearn for those times, when God manifested Himself so clearly and magnificently. They may even think that those times are better than today because of the visual manifestations of God. But the Truth is that today we have a better manifestation of God. It may or may not be visual, but it’s more magnificent. God Himself lives in us. We are His temple. “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1Corinthians 3:16) In our spirit is where we commune with Him and He speaks to us.  Isaiah prophesied about it. And the fathers of the Old Testament would have loved to have lived it. “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21)

Communing with the Lord is essential to our relationship with the Lord. It’s there in the quiet times, in the closet of prayer, that we learn to hear from Him, learn His direction and learn of righteousness. We learn to hear His voice. “So says Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah your God who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go.” (Isaiah 48:17) We wish to live in Old Testament times but today is a better time. The Living God, Creator and Father of all lives in us through the Holy Spirit. We are in Him through Christ and He is in us through the Holy Spirit. Jesus prayed, “... that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.” (John 17:21) This is a spiritual concept that is unknown in the earthly realm. But it is a real and spiritual occurrence which is difficult to explain in any other words. The Oneness of God the Father, God the Son, Jesus and God the Holy Spirit and our unity in that Oneness with God is miraculous, spiritual, holy and real. It is more magnificent than any miracle that happened in the Old Testament. And we don’t even know nor realize the magnitude of what that is without having continuous commune with the Lord.

The Lord not only led the Israelites, but in the future will lead the righteous to the New Jerusalem where there will be no light from the sun and the moon. But its light will come from the Lord. “And the city had no need of the sun, nor of the moon, that they might shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:23) The Lord will prepare a spectacular and great highway for the righteous from all the nations to make their way to their eternal home. “And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called, The Way of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it. But He shall be with them; the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err in it. No lion shall be there, nor any beast of prey shall go up on it; it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of Jehovah shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy on their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:8-10) Just as the Lord guided the Israelites to the Promised Land, He will guide the righteous to the New Jerusalem. The difference will be that the way will be safe and glorious.

All things considered then, today we see God’s manifestation in a greater way because of the New Covenant through Jesus. It’s through continual commune with the Lord that we can realize this progressively as we come to more knowledge of the Lord. Revelation makes it known that even after the end of this age, the Lord will continue to lead the righteous, even to their eternal home with Him.