Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)
We have a tendency to think that God only leads us from the front, but that isn’t true; He also leads us from behind. The reason is clear: We all need God to push us at times! There are two reasons we need that “supernatural shove.” First, there are times when we have settled into the place we currently are without making any forward progress. Second, there are times when there is a storm looming ahead and we will need God to push us through it. Either way, being led from behind is a great grace from God.
When you look back over your life, do you not see times when God was leading you from behind? Perhaps an unexpected storm suddenly blew into your life, similar to the sudden, violent squalls that often occur on the Sea of Galilee. If God had not been pushing you through the storm, you might very well have hunkered down and simply tried to “shelter in place.” And I’m quite sure you can also recall times when God had to push you in order to overcome your inertia and get you to answer His call on your life. If you are anything like me, you have experienced both kinds of supernatural shoves.
Think about it this way: If God were only to lead us from the front, we would have a tendency to ease up a bit as long as we had Him in view. We would only grow into a fraction of the person He is calling us to be. So our loving Lord, in His gracious providence, often leads us from behind, causing us to rely not on what we see in front of us, but on what we know within us. This is one of the ways God calls us to walk by faith and not by sight, making us more acutely aware of God’s voice in our lives.
So whether you find yourself in a season where God is leading you from the front or pushing you from behind, as long as you are trusting in Him you will ultimately reach your promised destination. And as you go, you will be growing and maturing in your faith as you look ahead of you and listen for His voice behind you.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 