“For this God is our God forever and forever: he will be our guide even unto death.” (Psalm 48:14)
For her twelfth birthday, Julie wanted to go on a real adventure. Her dad decided to take her whitewater rafting. Dad and Julie got onto a bus with rafts piled on top of it. Everyone on the bus was excited as they rode to the river. Julie could see that some parts of the river were calm, but there were some really strong rapids. When she and her dad got off the bus and they walked down to the bank of the river, she could see there were huge boulders in the middle of it. Suddenly, Julie started wondering what she had been thinking when she said she wanted an adventurous birthday. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea, after all! She was shaking a little as Dad helped her get her lifejacket on and handed her a paddle.
But she felt better when a man with a Starbucks ball cap gathered some of them together and started explaining what they were going to do. He told the group that his name was Rob, and that he was going to be their guide for the day. He said that there are different categories of whitewater rapids. In the rating system they used, “1” meant “barely moving,” and “6” meant “Niagara Falls.” Julie blinked and swallowed hard. She had not planned to go rafting on anything like Niagara Falls! She was a little comforted to hear Rob say that the river they were going on was only a “3” or “4.”
Rob showed Julie and her group where and how they should sit in the raft, and then he jumped in the back. They traveled down the river, bouncing through rapids and dodging boulders. Rob would shout simple instructions as they moved along; they paddled when he said “Paddle” and rested when he said “Rest.” Julie could tell that they were sticking to the most exciting part of the river–where the action was. She also noticed that Rob was not only paddling with his oar, but he was also using his oar as a rudder. He used it to steer their raft around the boulders, through the peaceful waters, and over the rough rapids. Julie decided she trusted Rob. She smiled when she saw that he had somehow managed to keep his Starbucks cap on the whole time! Rob had guided people down this same river for years, and he knew how to get them down the river safely. And not only was he going to get them safely back on shore, but he was also going to take them right through the most exciting rapids and give them the best possible journey.
Life is a little like that river. Have you ever stopped to think that God is an expert Guide? Sometimes things go along smoothly. Things are good with your family and friends. God is guiding you through the smooth times. But the life of a Christian will not always be easy. A full life, with lots of the best kind of adventure, is going to have really rough times.
No matter what is happening right now, God is the most trustworthy Guide you could ever have. He is all-knowing. He sees everything and knows how to handle everything. He is all-powerful. He is absolute control of any circumstance that you face in your life, and He can protect you during anything you have to go through. He is faithful. He will not leave you to take care of yourself if you count on Him for His help. You can ask Him to guide you and give you wisdom through both the smooth and the rough places in your life. Depend on God to be your Guide. He is more than worthy of your trust.
God is a faithful and dependable Guide Who deserves our trust.
My Response:
» Do I lean on myself instead of asking God for wisdom and help?
» When I am in trouble, do I look to God as the only perfect Guide?