Before, Behind, Beneath, Beside
Where do you need God to be for you right now?
Reference: v.2 I will go before you
and will level the mountains ;
I will break down gates of bronze
and cut through bars of iron. (TNIV Bible)
Explore: At my sister’s wedding the minister officiating read out a beautiful blessing. It was originally spoken by Cornelius “Neal” Plantinga Jr as a benediction for his congregation.
“God go before you to lead you, God go behind you to protect you, God go beneath you to support you, God go beside you to befriend you.
“Do not be afraid. May the blessing of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be upon you. Do not be afraid. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen.”
This understanding of God surrounding us completely is very comforting. To have a God who is our leader, protector, supporter and friend is greater than any other divinity that others give their lives to. While we don’t deserve this, God gives it to each of us freely.
Application: There are times in my life that I don’t allow God to lead. I force my way forward without thinking of where God would have me go.
There are times in my life when I forget to lean on God for protection. I feel like I should be able to cope with everything on my own, and yet God didn’t sacrifice His only Son so I would have to go it alone.
There are times in my life when I look in the wrong direction for support. I’ll rely on my own strength or the opinion of others rather than looking to God for the assurance that I need.
There are times in my life when I feel alone. It’s like the whole world is busy and leaving me behind. However, no matter where I go, I can be assured of having God’s presence with me at all times.
If we allow God to surround our whole lives then we will know we are heading in the right direction. He is behind us, before us, beneath us and beside us. We can deal with anything that comes our way when we are surrounded by such magnificence.
Prayer: Lord, you are there for us every step of they way. May we not forget or reject You, but strive to see You more and more each day. Amen.
Where do you need God to be for you right now? Before you, behind you, beneath you or beside you?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.