Your kingdom come, you will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Matthew 6:10 HCSB

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding: think about him in all your ways and He will guide you on the right paths.  Don’t consider yourself to be wise, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Proverbs 3:5-7 HCSB

My dad was always self-employed which was good for me. As a child, I was sometimes able to spend the day with my dad depending on what his day entailed. When this happened, this basically meant that I tagged along behind him as he handled whatever things it was that he had to do. Now my dad and I were always close, but there came a time when I thought that I knew it all. You know how those teen years are. It would be years later when I would realize that father really does know best. My dad had made plans for me that were good plans, but I chose another path. The path I chose wasn’t always easy and I often thought about how different my life would have been if I had listened to my dear old dad.

My life with God has been a lot like that. I’ve always loved Him, I’ve always trusted Him, but there have been times when I wanted to take the lead. I must admit those times have not worked out so well for me. It works out a lot better when I let Him take the lead and I tag along.

Many times in my life, I have jumped out there and failed to acknowledge Him. I have just gone and done what I thought was best. That usually leaves me cleaning up the mess later. When I first retired, I was looking for something I could do part-time and earn a little extra money. I tried a program that advertised that you could work at home. Some very reputable radio talk show hosts were endorsing this program, so I thought I would give it a shot. My goal was to work 10-20 hours a week and make an extra $100-$200.00 per week. I foolishly jumped into this program and soon learned that I would have to invest more money than I made. I also learned that those that were making money at this program were working more like 60-70 hours a week. After about six months, I got out of the program. I remember praying to God and asking Him why this didn’t work out. He quickly reminded me that I had not prayed about this or acknowledged Him before I jumped off into it. I had simply took off and expected Him to follow. Well, it doesn’t work that way, my friend.

God is in the lead. He always has been and always will be. He created us and the universe around us. He knows what our future holds. When you think about it, it’s not wise for us to not consult Him and acknowledge Him in all that we do. I have learned the hard way that God knows what is best for me. I have learned that I should always follow Him and never expect Him to follow me. Imagine if my dad had allowed a four year old to run his business and he had just followed along. That’s crazy, right? It’s also crazy for us mere mortals to think that we are so wise that we can run things.

God is in charge. He has good plans for us and wants what is best for us (Jeremiah 29:11). God’s will is going to be done. You can resist it or you can go along with His plans.

Today, I want you to ask yourself this very important question. Who is leading who? Are you foolishly trying to lead God into following you or are you following His lead? I have foolishly tried to lead before and let me tell you, it has led to nothing but disaster. It took me a while to figure out that when I tag along behind God and follow His lead that things always work out for my good and His glory (Romans 8:28-30). I have learned that considering myself wise is foolish. I have also learned that turning away from evil helps me stay focused on God and be able to better follow Him.

If things aren’t going as you had planned, then maybe the problem is that you left God out of the planning. Maybe you didn’t pray that His will be done in your life. Maybe you forgot to acknowledge Him at all and just bailed off into something that you had no business bailing off into. We are told in Deuteronomy 31:6 that the LORD goes with us and He will not leave nor forsake us.

So, if you have gone down a wrong path, then know that God is there. Just cry out to Him, trust in Him with all your heart and acknowledge Him in all that you do. He will get you on the right path. He will make your crooked path straight (Isaiah 45:2).

If you have gotten off track, stop. Psalm 46:10 tells us to be still and know that He is God. Allow God to take the lead. Follow Him. He will be with you always. He will lead you to heaven to spend eternity in glory with God the Father. You can’t get lost or get off on the wrong path when you follow Him.

Have a great day!