Being on the way the Lord led me

Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD. And he said, "Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren." – Genesis 24v26-27

“I being in the way the Lord led me’ is one of those Bible phrases that has almost become part of normal Christianese. It took me a while to figure how God could lead me when I was in the way, but I eventually figured it out.

When God answered the servant’s prayer his first response was the perfect one. He bowed down his head and worshipped the Lord. Before we go on it is important to note that the proper response to answered prayer is worship. I hope we never learn to take answered prayer for granted.

When did God lead this servant? He didn’t come to his bed and shake him out. God didn’t come a pull him out of his recliner. God led him while he was already ‘on the road.’

I am sure that there are exceptions, but generally God leads people who are already moving.

Here is an illustration from real life. Mary and I were out walking yesterday and decided to take a totally different way home at one point. An elderly woman was in the front garden and greeted us. I noted her unusual accent so we started talking. As it turns out she was a Hungarian who was in the middle of the fighting during the Russian invasion of Budapest in 1956. She saw her husband shot to death from a Soviet tank. She had to leave her infant son with her mother when she escaped because she was hunted as a member of he rebel forces. She made her way to Austria, England (where she was reunited with her son) and eventually Ireland.

We had a lovely chat, well, mostly she chatted, but I told her I was a pastor and gave her my card. She invited us back for another visit.

I don’t if this will lead anywhere, but the point is we could not have met Ilona if we had not been out on the road or, on the way as Abraham’s servant puts it. We were on the road and I have to believe the Lord directed us to her.

That’s a simple illustration of an important truth. If we get going God will direct. We can’t just sit around and wait for something to happen.

Get on the road and let God lead. Who knows where you might end up?