All The Way My Saviour Leads Me

My favorite little justification has always been a little different- The Israelites saw God every day. God directly led them by a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night? Let; say it really did just “slip your mind” who was in charge. Any three-year-old boy could say, “Um, dad- what was that we had for breakfast this morning? Manna… And, where did that come from?” Or, “Um, yeah- so what’s that cloud we’ve been following for these last forty years again?” He was right in their midst. What excuse could they possibly have?

Truth be told, I think the real motivation is a little deeper than that. I think they’re thinking, “You know, I could have gotten from Egypt to Israel in three days, if we had just stayed up North. This God we’re following has less sense of direction than my husband! If I were leading…”

Once you uncover that nasty little motivation, I can understand the Israelites a lot better. Often I tell God how much better things would be if I were in charge.

I want to tell you a story about one month that I will never forget. In October 1994, I went to Germany to teach some computer classes. While I was there, I decided to see all of Eastern Europe. I spent weeks planning exactly what I wanted to see.

Reason III – We don’t believe in God’s continuing providence.

(Follow four words for me, if you would- water, pitchers, cisterns, and streams.)

Inviation – Use Isa 49:15-16 about How God doesn’t forget us, He is with us now, and if you will place your trust in him, he’ll never leave.

“All the way, my saviour leads me, Oh, the fullness of His love.

Perfect rest to me is promised, In my Father’s house above.

When my spirit clothed immortal, wings it flight to realms of day,

This my song through endless ages- Jesus lead me all the way.

Opening Hymn - Be Thou My Vision

Scripture - Numbers 20: 1- 11

Service Hymn - All the Way My Saviour Leads Me

1. Introduction

-Why is it that a blind woman (isn’t it ironic that a blind woman can see so clearly) can write of so much joy, and yet a slave people set free- being fed in the wilderness, and being led by the very form of God himself, grumble?

2. I think that there are three excuses that are immediately apparent-

-They’ve forgetten what God has done for them

-They didn’t see what was doing for them

-They didn’t trust his good grace to continue

3. They’ve forgotten what he has done for them-

Plagues, the Passover, the Red Sea - very tangible things that they could see

Are our lives so dissimiliar? Christ died for us.

This all just goes to show that we can’t just live in the past though - Hebrews doesn’t say "Without gratitude, it is impossible to please him"

4. They don’t see what he is doing

Manna every morning

Cloud & fire right there - just need to look over to see it.

How many times does God bless us completely unawares?

Frankly, seeing it so regularly blinds us to his provision- example of me in Poland, seeing God’s grace so regularly, and yet when I get back, what do I do? For two years, I’m never in Church. - I had thought that I had exhausted God’s love. I’m a proud man, I didn’t like the thought of not being in control either. In short, I didn’t like being led, at least not so overtly.