by Ansley Zecckine
“Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps.”
–Max Lucado
God, a cheerleader? Doesn’t that just sound a bit on the feminine side? Sure, he can do all things, but where’s the all-powerful, rock my socks off and strike me with a lightning bolt mentality in that?
People’s thoughts, with regards to God’s character, don’t always line up with the truth of who he is.
At the other end of the spectrum, we find people who tend to think of God as a “cosmic teddy bear” who left this side of the universe long ago, allowing us to do whatsoever we please without consequence, as he apathetically floats along.
Are any of these views correct? Let’s examine a few passages from the Bible to see what it has to say.
Isaiah 30:21 says, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”
Allow me to elaborate and paint a little imagery for this verse. It’s night time, and it would be completely dark outside if it were not for the few slivers of light feathering down between the trees, coming from the quarter-moon.
Two friends are traversing a winding path together, one with a flashlight and the other with his senses, or so he’d like to think. Suddenly, the one using his sense of direction and poor eyesight travels right off the path, following the deceitful silhouette of the ground.
He doesn’t notice that he’s left the company of his friend– that is until he hears his voice bellowing forth from a distance, “This is the way! Here I am; follow my voice!” At this point, he is able to navigate back to his friend.
“Can you see my light? You can make it; you’re almost here!” Within a couple minutes he sees the beam of the flashlight bursting through the trees. He decides from now on to trust his friend’s guiding voice and light instead of his own senses.
The Bible teaches that God’s word is a light and lamp for our path and for our feet. He cares, he’s concerned and he wants the best for us. He never leaves nor forsakes us; let’s not leave or forsake him either.
Cheerleader? Maybe that’s not a good word to describe him: more like a… cheering leader.
