When God brought Israel out of Egypt He likened it to a father carrying his son on his shoulders or an eagle carrying it’s young on its wings.
A young child is happy to trust daddy when he strongly lifts her up above his head and seats her down on his broad shoulders.
There is no resistance from the child just joy and peace…complete trust in daddy.
But as the child grows it encounters dificulties when daddy is not around and begins to find coping methods to get through without him.
We say of some toddlers…” that child has a mind of his own!”
So many of us grow into adult hood with this thing called a mind of our own. And when we come to Jesus we find it hard to let Him lead us.
Jesus wants to lead us out but we do not trust him to do it. We want him to do it our way! We want to maintain “control”.
God does not want to control us though…but for us to let him lead us. The two must agree together to go together.
This may seem basic stuff but it is the key to walking in the spirit with God.
Those who are led by the spirit are sons…those not allowing him to lead are slaves to fear.
When God delivered Israel he said “Out of Egypt I called My son”. God saw his son Israel in bondage to fear under the heavy hand of Pharaoh and sent a deliverer to lead them out.
Though Israel saw God do miracles for them they still could not walk with him in trusting faith when pressure came.
God wanted to bring them into a new place of blessing but they could not enter into it because of this thing called a “mind of their own”. They doubted. They contended. They did not believe God was for them. This is what Heb 3 calls an “evil heart of unbelief”. It causes us to depart from God.
It says in Hebrews and ps 95 that God swore in his wrath they shall not enter in to his rest. But it is not like that.
God was GRIEVED not angry at them. He has such a longing for us to enter in to His rest and said that you simply CANNOT enter in if you do not believe.
Only Josh and Caleb believed…only they entered in.
Caleb: means faithful dog. A dog properly treated is the most loyal and trusting friend. Joshua means God is salvation and of course we know he was always in the presence of God with Moses.
Cultivating a heart of trust.
(Added later)My daughter Ellie works with dogs on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. I shared this post with her and she added that “a loving connection between human and dog is definitely needed.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CZoK16PBkPj/
We need to cultivate a heart of trust. A trusting heart will let God lead.
A dog on a lead
A dog needs to learn that it’s master leads and not the other way around.
Being led by God is a joyful, restful thing.
Any pulling back on the lead makes life hard. And pulling ahead on the lead will also not work. The two walk together as one…but God leads.
Letting God lead is as a puppy learning to walk beside you on the lead.
Selah
When you see dogs out in front pulling hard on the lead it is a picture of he soul leading the spirit.
People are allowing the dog to lead them and as a result have very little control over the dog. Going ahead of God is the same.
Letting God lead is like the dog which stays by your thigh and it’s eyes are on you NOT on what is coming towards you.
A well trained dog does nothing unless it has permission.
It is under control.
Jesus was the same and Paul and all who have walked with God since.
But training is required before we learn God’s lead and learn to appreciate the particular way he leads us.
God is the best teacher and infinitely patient.
