What Can I Expect When God Leads?
When God Leads: Understanding the Journey of Faith
There's something profoundly comforting about knowing where you're going. In the days before smartphones and GPS, we relied on maps—those unwieldy paper guides that filled our glove compartments and required careful unfolding to reveal our destination. Today, we simply ask our devices for directions and follow turn-by-turn instructions. But whether using ancient maps or modern technology, the principle remains the same: we need guidance to reach our destination.
Life is a journey, and every journey requires a leader. The question isn't whether we're being led, but rather who is leading us. When we examine the characteristics of God's leadership in our lives, we discover profound truths that challenge our assumptions and deepen our faith.
The Long Way Is Often the Best Way
When the Israelites left Egypt after 430 years of slavery, God had options for their route to the Promised Land. The most direct path would have taken them through Philistine territory—a journey that could have been completed relatively quickly. Yet God deliberately chose a longer route through the wilderness.
Why?
The text in Exodus 13 reveals God's reasoning: "God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near, for God said that the people might change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt."
These former slaves weren't warriors. They were brickmakers, farmers, and herdsmen. They had shovels, not swords. To send them through hostile territory would have been setting them up for failure, not success. God's longer route reflected His protection, His compassion, and His wisdom.
This principle applies to our spiritual growth today. We live in a microwave culture that demands instant results. We want to read one book and become mature Christians overnight. We seek shortcuts to spiritual depth. But God knows there are no shortcuts to genuine transformation.
Spiritual growth is hard. It's painful. It takes time. God knows your frame—your strengths and your weaknesses—and He will never intentionally put you in a situation designed for failure. He wants you to succeed, which is why He often leads you the long way. The path of maturity knows no silver bullet, no quick fix, no bypass around difficulty.
Freedom's Way Requires Leaving Egypt Behind
Egypt represented bondage—a "house of slavery" where God's people had been oppressed for generations. When God called them out, He called them "up" from Egypt. This wasn't just geographical movement; it was spiritual liberation.
The biblical concept of liberation always deals with freedom from sin. It's about being set free from the confines of bondage to receive the redemption available in Christ. This isn't freedom from God's laws or freedom to live however we please—it's freedom to become who God created us to be.
Yet the most haunting words in the Exodus account are these: "return to Egypt." Despite God's miraculous deliverance, despite His provision and protection, the people were tempted to go back to what they knew. Even in the New Testament, Stephen accused the religious leaders of his day by saying their forefathers "in their hearts, they returned to Egypt."
How often do we do the same? God offers freedom, but we find ourselves drawn back to familiar sins, comfortable compromises, and old patterns of bondage. We stand at the threshold of liberation, yet turn around and walk back into captivity.
The call today is clear: Come up from Egypt. Don't return to bondage. God is calling you out, not to excuse or indulge sin, but to leave it behind and walk in freedom.
Clear Direction for Those Who Seek It
The Israelites had unmistakable guidance: a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God's presence was visible, tangible, and impossible to miss. Many of us wish for such obvious direction today.
While God may not provide a literal cloud or fire, He still leads clearly through three primary means:
His Church - The community of faith isn't optional for spiritual growth. We need the local congregation—not just watching sermons online, but being physically present, serving with our hands and feet, holding one another accountable, and encouraging each other in Christ.
His Holy Spirit - For believers, the Holy Spirit dwells within us, making our bodies temples of His presence. The Spirit works in our hearts, convicting, guiding, and helping us. Yet how often do we resist the Spirit's leading because we don't want to go where He's directing?
His Word - Psalm 119:105 declares, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path." Scripture is God's revelation for all ages, all people, and all times. There are no special revelations that supersede it. Regular engagement with God's Word—both Old and New Testament—is essential for discerning His direction.
God leads clearly when we're willing to receive His guidance through these channels.
The Wilderness Has Purpose
God leads purposefully, and His purpose often involves the wilderness. This dry, arid, difficult place isn't somewhere we naturally want to go. We avoid wilderness experiences at all costs, constantly seeking escape routes from hardship.
But God uses the wilderness to stretch, grow, and mature us. The Israelites wandered for 40 years—not because God couldn't get them to the Promised Land sooner, but because they needed transformation. During those decades, God fed them, gave them water,
protected them, and ensured their clothes and sandals never wore out. He cared for over a million people perfectly in the harshest environment imaginable.
When we face our own wilderness seasons, we can look back at God's faithfulness in the past and look forward with confidence to His faithfulness in the future. Joseph believed so strongly in God's promise that he made his brothers swear to carry his bones out of Egypt when God delivered them—a promise fulfilled 430 years later when Moses took Joseph's bones with them.
The Ultimate Question
Are you so arrogant to think you can lead your own life better than God?
This question cuts to the heart of the matter. If God could lead, feed, protect, and provide for over a million people through 40 years in the wilderness, can He not lead your life?
Letting God lead might not result in the trip you planned, but it will be the best trip you ever make.
The invitation stands: Let God lead. Follow Him through the long way, down freedom's way, trusting His clear direction, even when the path leads through the wilderness. His leadership is characterized by protection, compassion, wisdom, and purpose.
The real question is whether we'll follow the Leader.
Following the Leader,
There's something profoundly comforting about knowing where you're going. In the days before smartphones and GPS, we relied on maps—those unwieldy paper guides that filled our glove compartments and required careful unfolding to reveal our destination. Today, we simply ask our devices for directions and follow turn-by-turn instructions. But whether using ancient maps or modern technology, the principle remains the same: we need guidance to reach our destination.
Life is a journey, and every journey requires a leader. The question isn't whether we're being led, but rather who is leading us. When we examine the characteristics of God's leadership in our lives, we discover profound truths that challenge our assumptions and deepen our faith.
The Long Way Is Often the Best Way
When the Israelites left Egypt after 430 years of slavery, God had options for their route to the Promised Land. The most direct path would have taken them through Philistine territory—a journey that could have been completed relatively quickly. Yet God deliberately chose a longer route through the wilderness.
Why?
The text in Exodus 13 reveals God's reasoning: "God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near, for God said that the people might change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt."
These former slaves weren't warriors. They were brickmakers, farmers, and herdsmen. They had shovels, not swords. To send them through hostile territory would have been setting them up for failure, not success. God's longer route reflected His protection, His compassion, and His wisdom.
This principle applies to our spiritual growth today. We live in a microwave culture that demands instant results. We want to read one book and become mature Christians overnight. We seek shortcuts to spiritual depth. But God knows there are no shortcuts to genuine transformation.
Spiritual growth is hard. It's painful. It takes time. God knows your frame—your strengths and your weaknesses—and He will never intentionally put you in a situation designed for failure. He wants you to succeed, which is why He often leads you the long way. The path of maturity knows no silver bullet, no quick fix, no bypass around difficulty.
Freedom's Way Requires Leaving Egypt Behind
Egypt represented bondage—a "house of slavery" where God's people had been oppressed for generations. When God called them out, He called them "up" from Egypt. This wasn't just geographical movement; it was spiritual liberation.
The biblical concept of liberation always deals with freedom from sin. It's about being set free from the confines of bondage to receive the redemption available in Christ. This isn't freedom from God's laws or freedom to live however we please—it's freedom to become who God created us to be.
Yet the most haunting words in the Exodus account are these: "return to Egypt." Despite God's miraculous deliverance, despite His provision and protection, the people were tempted to go back to what they knew. Even in the New Testament, Stephen accused the religious leaders of his day by saying their forefathers "in their hearts, they returned to Egypt."
How often do we do the same? God offers freedom, but we find ourselves drawn back to familiar sins, comfortable compromises, and old patterns of bondage. We stand at the threshold of liberation, yet turn around and walk back into captivity.
The call today is clear: Come up from Egypt. Don't return to bondage. God is calling you out, not to excuse or indulge sin, but to leave it behind and walk in freedom.
Clear Direction for Those Who Seek It
The Israelites had unmistakable guidance: a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God's presence was visible, tangible, and impossible to miss. Many of us wish for such obvious direction today.
While God may not provide a literal cloud or fire, He still leads clearly through three primary means:
His Church - The community of faith isn't optional for spiritual growth. We need the local congregation—not just watching sermons online, but being physically present, serving with our hands and feet, holding one another accountable, and encouraging each other in Christ.
His Holy Spirit - For believers, the Holy Spirit dwells within us, making our bodies temples of His presence. The Spirit works in our hearts, convicting, guiding, and helping us. Yet how often do we resist the Spirit's leading because we don't want to go where He's directing?
His Word - Psalm 119:105 declares, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path." Scripture is God's revelation for all ages, all people, and all times. There are no special revelations that supersede it. Regular engagement with God's Word—both Old and New Testament—is essential for discerning His direction.
God leads clearly when we're willing to receive His guidance through these channels.
The Wilderness Has Purpose
God leads purposefully, and His purpose often involves the wilderness. This dry, arid, difficult place isn't somewhere we naturally want to go. We avoid wilderness experiences at all costs, constantly seeking escape routes from hardship.
But God uses the wilderness to stretch, grow, and mature us. The Israelites wandered for 40 years—not because God couldn't get them to the Promised Land sooner, but because they needed transformation. During those decades, God fed them, gave them water,
protected them, and ensured their clothes and sandals never wore out. He cared for over a million people perfectly in the harshest environment imaginable.
When we face our own wilderness seasons, we can look back at God's faithfulness in the past and look forward with confidence to His faithfulness in the future. Joseph believed so strongly in God's promise that he made his brothers swear to carry his bones out of Egypt when God delivered them—a promise fulfilled 430 years later when Moses took Joseph's bones with them.
The Ultimate Question
Are you so arrogant to think you can lead your own life better than God?
This question cuts to the heart of the matter. If God could lead, feed, protect, and provide for over a million people through 40 years in the wilderness, can He not lead your life?
Letting God lead might not result in the trip you planned, but it will be the best trip you ever make.
The invitation stands: Let God lead. Follow Him through the long way, down freedom's way, trusting His clear direction, even when the path leads through the wilderness. His leadership is characterized by protection, compassion, wisdom, and purpose.
The real question is whether we'll follow the Leader.
Following the Leader,
Pastor Kirk Flaa
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