“The One Who Goes Before You”
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesIn Deuteronomy 31:1-8, we see Moses encouraging Israel as they prepare to enter the promise land. Note specifically verse 8:
“And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
Let’s focus on the following phrases in the above passage along with comments:
1) “The Lord, He is the one who goes before you” — How encouraging to know that no matter where life’s trials and tribulations take us, that God has gone before us (cf. Psalm 23:4). It is in the realization that God “goes before us” that we take on the attitude of the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:13). God has gone through all of the jungles of life and cleared a path for us to take. There are no self-made men and women — it is God that leads and continues to lead.
It was God who led His people out of Egypt and through the Red Sea on dry ground (Exodus 14:16; Exodus 14:29). It was God who led His prophets to teach and restore Israel (cf. Acts 3:19-26). By the Lord’s leading, it is through godly sorrow that we have been led to repentance and salvation (2 Corinthians 7:8-10; 1 Peter 1:3-12).
Until we realize Who is in charge of our lives, we will never have the full assurance we need as Christians. What a comfort then, is the fact that as we face life’s challenges, our loving and caring God is always “going before us.”
2) “He will be with you” — Not only should Christians know that God leads the way, but we also can have the confidence that God is continually with us (cf. Genesis 28:15; Joshua 1:5; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). In fact, the very name “Immanuel” means “God with us” (cf. Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). Let’s ask ourselves, What would be the purpose of prayer if we knew that God was no longer with us? The very fact that we pray (and hopefully, pray often), verifies that we believe that God is very much “with us.”
3) “He will not leave you nor forsake you” — If we place our trust in fallible human beings, we will be sorely disappointed, but if we place our trust in God, He will not only lead us and be with us, but He will never fail nor forsake us. People often let us down, but God is always there for us (2 Timothy 4:16-17; cf. Acts 23:11).
4) “Do not fear nor be dismayed” — When was the last time we experienced fear and became discouraged? Probably not too long ago. How can we keep from staying down when we become discouraged? Simply by remembering that the Lord “has gone before us” in any and every circumstance.
Remember the fear that was in King Saul and his army when Goliath stood up and taunted Israel? (1 Samuel 17:1-11). But David knew that God was in control of the outcome, and thus he did not fear (1 Samuel 17:32-47).
Conclusion:
No, we need not fear Satan or man when God “goes before us.” So, in life’s tough situations and circumstances, let us remember Deuteronomy 31:8, making it a part of our life. Remembering that when God “goes before us,” we can handle whatever comes our way. If we will “go with God” and trust in Him, He will “go before us” (cf. Proverbs 3:5-6; Deuteronomy 31:8).
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- An Ever-Present Help
- “For The Lord Is With You”
- God Is Ready To Help When We Stumble And Fall
- The Perfect Refuge
- God Will Carry Us Through
- Our Caring And Mighty God!