Seeking Direction: Dangerous Curves Ahead

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 Posted by Debbie Legg

There’s nothing like a well-placed road sign to let you know what to expect on the road ahead. But does God really tell us what is coming?

Um…YES!

God’s been talking to us from In The Beginning. He told Adam and Eve to rule the earth, but watch out for that one tree in the middle of the garden. He sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to let His people go, but that Pharaoh would say no and He’d take care of it ten times over. God repeatedly begged Israel to repent and turn back to Him, because destruction was coming if they didn’t. When they finally were enslaved, He told them exactly how long their imprisonment would last. He told them time and time again that the Messiah was coming, and gave them the signs to look for. He's informed us what's coming at the end of the age, in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and other places.

When the Bible was written, fully 1/4 of it was prophecy, foretelling things that were coming but hadn't yet happened. That one fact alone tells me God wants us to know what He has planned.

One of my favorite examples of God’s foretelling is when the Spirit told Paul he was to go to Jerusalem, but that there would be imprisonment and suffering waiting for him there. That message was confirmed by different people, different places, and different sources. Naturally, those who loved Paul tried to get him to abandon that path. (Acts 20–23)

I am so inspired by Paul’s reaction to those well-meaning people. “Yep. I know it’s not going to be fun. God told me that. But fun or not, I’m still going to Jerusalem, and no one, no thing, no way, no how, is going to stop me. God said ‘Go’ and I’m going.” (Debbie's Paraphrase)

Paul knew that God loved him, that He would use these tough times both for Paul's good and others'. Paul set his course for Jerusalem and never wavered. Those are some tough footsteps to follow, but I'm trying.