God's Leading by T. E. BOWEN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 19, 1907

God's Leading

By T. E. BOWEN

T. E. BOWEN

OFTENTIMES the child of God questions whether he is on the right road. He believes he has been guided of the Lord. He can look back to places in his experience where he can with considerable assurance raise an “Ebenezer,” confidently saying, “Hitherto hath Jehovah helped us.” And yet here are these terrible perplexities to encounter—great unforeseen difficulties. Why all these? If God really led the way, surely he must have known these were ahead.

Ah! surely God did know. One thing we must settle forever, and that is that obstacles and difficulties present no argument that God has not been guiding.

Here is a simple text that apparently does not stand for very much, but around which considerable interest clusters in the contemplation of this subject: “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.” Ex. 14:1, 2. God very explicitly directed Moses just where Israel should encamp at this particular time. Not only by the pillar of cloud, but by naming the exact spot, and even repeating it, God led Israel down behind the mountains to the very shore itself, “between Migdol and the sea.”

At the very time he gave Moses this directing word, the Lord knew that Pharaoh was preparing his army, and was well on the way to overtake the hosts of Israel, intending to bring them back by force of arms.

In this instance it is plain that God's direct leading was into the very face of difficulty. But was not God leading? The child of faith had only to assure himself by saying, “Well, God directed us to encamp at this very spot. We are simply following where he leads, and he surely will take care of the result.” But, human-like, they forgot all this. It was “Moses.” “Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?” They reasoned that there could be no possible escape from death. They limited the power of the Holy One of Israel. When God had piled up the waters of the sea, and they had safely reached the other side, songs of praise burst from thousands of hearts. But they were on the other side of the difficulty then. We have the same mighty God for our leader. His power is unlimited. Quickly our enemies might swallow us up, but God overrules. Into places like “between Migdol and the sea” he may lead us as individuals, and as a people; but we shall find, as did Israel of old, “if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning.” The thing to decide is whether God led us into the difficult place. This made sure, he has a way out; and at the proper time, in his own good way, he will lead his trusting child out, even though a way must be prepared, as of old. Until he leads out, he sees, in his unerring wisdom, that we have some lessons to learn which will be for our best good, even in the midst of the trial. Until his “word” comes to release us, let us continue to “count it all joy,” and not fall to murmuring, nor conclude that he did not guide us down to our “between Migdol and the sea.”

Takoma Park, D. C.