His light that guides

I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them. But those who trust in idols, who say, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned away in shame. Isaiah 42:16-17 NLT

If we think that we can get around in our habits and practices without deep dependence on God, that doesn’t mean we see everything that could happen. Blind people are able to adjust and find themselves able to navigate their ways in familiar surroundings. From the text, Isaiah reminded the Israelites that God wants to guide “them along an unfamiliar way.” God is leading them to a life free of idols. He is showing the people a spiritual way to walk even if they presently do not understand. He is guiding them through the removal of their darkness and blindness. The provision of light will help them understand His truth. In this way, He “smooths out the road ahead of them. In essence, God is saying, “Trust me enough to follow me. I will show you a whole new way of life.” God promises that once they trust Him, He leads them forward and will not forsake them. God does not change. No one should doubt His intentions or ability to perform what He said he would do. We can trust God because He will keep his promises. The greatest miracle in the universe is not when God spoke and everything in creation appeared. The greatest miracle is when God transforms a sinner filled with rebellion in his heart and a stubborn idolater into a worshiper of God Himself. This is the miracle urgently needed in our time. This takes place when the person transformed will love the Giver more than His gifts. Transformation is manifested when we have God as our only ultimate delight. The source of joy is to see God’s glory magnified. In this way, we are no longer selfishly obsessed to the gifts we have that even when they are taken away, we are no longer distressed because we have Him. That is what true worship is; to be rich and satisfied only in Christ. We should never doubt God in our dark days and let us not give-in to a mindset that God has abandoned us. In due time, God will act on behalf of His people and shed His light and guidance on every situation. “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12).

Blessings,