We Have a Guide

Andy Manley

A few years ago I was on a missions trip in Belize. A lot of times with youth missions trips, organizations will plan one fun day for the group. At the end of the week they brought us cave tubing. They broke us up into different groups and each one of us had a guide. We sat in intertubes and went down a river through a cave. It was awesome. Not only that, the guide that was with our group described himself as a survivalist. He would go into the jungles and stay there. He explained how the Mayan people from the past would go into caves and hunt jaguars. He explained how a huge mountain was actually an archeological site that had not been fully excavated. Without him there, we wouldn’t have known any of this.  We didn’t know where we were going or what was around us.We could have tried going through the caves on our own. Instead, we had a guide that led the way and taught us. When it comes to our faith, we need a guide.

There’s an interesting interaction between Jesus and his disciples in the book of John. It’s right before he is arrested and goes to the cross. John 14-17 is known as Jesus’ Farewell discourse as he sits and teaches his disciples, in person, for one of the last times. He tells them in John 16:7, 

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 

They must have been confused. How would it be better that Jesus wasn’t going to be with them? They had been able to walk with him and learn from him directly. What could be better than that? But Jesus planned to send the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all working together. The Spirit was now going to dwell inside of them.

Speaking to them. 

Guiding them. 

Leading them. 

Being their guide. 

As followers of Jesus, we need the Spirit’s voice in our lives. Jesus promised something so powerful. It’s so easy for me to forget that God has sent someone to guide me, speak to me, correct my course, and advocate for me. 

I’ve been challenged lately with the idea of setting intentional time aside to pray for God’s leading. Not necessarily a time to read our Bible’s or do a devotional. That’s great! But how often am I intentionally setting time aside to seek the Holy Spirit’s leading? When things are busy and distractions are always available, our need for intentional time goes up. Our opportunity for listening throughout the day at work or home is always possible too. We have a guide that wants to lead us. Our response is to seek Him and listen for His guiding.