I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. (Isaiah 42:16)
Seeing Eye dogs—also frequently referred to as “service dogs” or “guide dogs”—are trained to act as the “eyes” for men and women who are visually impaired or completely blind, helping to enhance the independence of the disabled person. Have you ever thought of God as a “Seeing Eye” God? No? Well, I have a great word of encouragement for you today, because that is exactly what we have in our God. And the reason He acts in this way on our behalf is because we are all blind!
By nature, we are all blind to the spiritual things of God . . . until He raises us out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. As Paul wrote, “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8). The prophet Isaiah tells us that our God graciously leads us, the blind, because we are incapable of leading ourselves. We all know what happens when we try to lead ourselves; we find the wheels coming off the tracks, and eventually we wind up derailed and in a ditch. Yet even when our eyes are opened to God’s light of truth, we must continue to trust in Him to lead us, and this is the promise we have been given in the Word of God.
Isaiah went on to say that once God starts leading us, He never stops. “I will not forsake them” is the promise our Lord makes to us. Every step of the way into glory, we are shepherded by the great gift of our Seeing Eye God, who has promised to lead us safely to the other side.
Now, I must remind you that He did not promise to get us home without having to go through some storms along the way. In fact, He has promised just the opposite: “In this world you will have trouble,” Jesus said matter-of-factly. The storms have been guaranteed! What God has promised is to guide us and take us through the storms, not leave us alone in the midst of them. And along the way He will make all the rough places smooth. “Take heart!” Jesus assures us. “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
One final point: Isaiah said that the blind (you and I) will be led by ways we have not known and along unfamiliar paths. God leads us out of our particular zones of comfort and into His calling on our lives. God does leave us where we are, because comfort zones are not conducive to developing Christlikeness. It is only when we faithfully follow our Seeing Eye God down pathways we have not known that we begin to grow and mature in our faith.
Make no mistake, living a life of meaning, significance, and purpose will only happen when we allow ourselves to be led by our Seeing Eye God, trusting in Him completely, regardless of where He leads us. Always, always stand on the promises of God your Savior:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 