Why Follow Jesus 19. Because He Will Guide You

Hello and welcome to Van Life Devotions. This is beautiful Maclean where Leisl and I have commenced a 12-month itinerant ministry at Lower Clarence Baptist Church in Townsend which is next to Maclean. Maclean is a town in Clarence Valley on the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. This is the Clarence River and together with Townsend, Yamba and Iluka – an area known as the Lower Clarence - has a combined population of 17,533. It has a strong Scottish connection with the annual Maclean Highland Gathering held each Easter and there are many power poles painted with tartan patterns such as this one. Mackenzie is a family name.

At our wedding in 1989, my father-in-law Graeme Bagley shared with Leisl and I a bible passage “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).

When Leisl’s father gave us this passage, little did we know how many times we needed to apply it in our marriage, family and work life. If anything, this verse was prophetic. 36 years after this verse was shared with us, Leisl and I chose a word for this year and that word is “trust”. As we begin a new itinerant ministry that has several unknown we look at each other and say “trust”. Trust in God. And already we have seen God guiding us through the unknowns.

When it comes to your life, there will come instances and opportunities where the outcomes are unknown. Naturally you do your best to control things to avoid going the wrong way. Sometimes, situations are out of your control and leaning on your own understanding won’t help. The bible teaches that we are to put our trust in God for He knows. It’s not easy to hand life’s challenges over to God, but followers are told to do so.

But here’s the other thing that is important to understand. As a believer in Jesus, obedience is just as important as trust.

Well respected pastor and author AW Tozer wrote: “It is not just trust; it is not just obey. It is trust and obey”.

You need to do both. In fact: you prove your overwhelming trust in God when you obey Him. That’s what our bible passage tells us to do: “in all your ways submit to him”. You submit to God by obeying His teachings as found in the Bible.

D.L. Moody was conducting a series of evangelistic crusades in Massachusetts in 1886 when one night a young man shared his testimony and said, “I am not quite sure - but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey". Those words were jotted down and sent it John Sammis, a Presbyterian minister who also wrote hymns and from that sentence came the hymn “Trust and Obey”.

I don’t know what the context was for the young guy who shared his testimony but whatever it was, still unsure about his situation, he was going to trust, and he was going to obey.

And whatever context or situation you are in now may you learn to trust and obey. 

This Bible passage concludes with a promise, “and he will make your paths straight”. In other words, God will keep you on the right track. Even when situations are out of your control or when things don’t make sense, God will guide you. Trust and obey.

Perhaps you are at a crossroads in life. You are sensing that way is the right way. You’ve prayed about it and your feel led to go that way, but this other way is more comfortable, less risks. Trust God and obey Him. He is faithful. He will guide you.

Maybe you know that it is time. It is time to trust that Jesus really is God’s Son and obey His teachings. God promises to guide you in truth, understanding, and to greater peace.

Why be a follower of Jesus? Because God guides you.    

It’s time to trust and obey for there’s no other way

I invite you to pray this prayer with me:

Father God.

I am sorry that I am a sinner.

Thank you for forgiving me when you died on the cross.

Please guide me so I can do Your will.

Enable me to put my trust in You and

to obey Your teachings.

In Jesus’ name

Amen

David Moyes