"And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them."
Isaiah 42:16
I have had friends who were blind, and I was always amazed at their ability to remember precisely where everything in their house was located. They could navigate beautifully - so long as they were on familiar ground, although it was very important that nothing ever be moved out of its place or left where they might trip over it.
When they were out of their familiar spaces, however, navigating in an unknown place could become quite a challenge. Without a seeing-eye dog or other help, life became very difficult. (Can you imagine trying to make your way across a golf course if you couldn’t see anything?)
In many ways, we are making our way through life like a blind person in unknown territory. We don’t know what might happen next, or whether we might blunder into a wall, fall down a flight of stairs, or step into an open manhole. While things are in a routine we can get along fairly well, but then we lose our job, or the stock market crashes or along comes the Corona Virus, or we suddenly discover that we’ve gotten old.
God promises to lead the blind in a way that we do not know and to guide us in paths that we can’t see. He will smooth the way ahead of us in His mercy and He even “turns on the lights” for us where they are needed. He gives us understanding of the invisible things surrounding us, and even when we can’t see them, we can still trust that He is guiding us.
Lord, You have promised to “guide me with Your eye.” I know that even though I don’t always know what’s happening around me and there are dangers I can’t see, I can trust You. Take my hand and lead me, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles