Reflections

Unconscious Guidance

No serious study on Divine guidance can ignore the fact that God guides our lives even though we are unaware of it. We often call this unconscious guidance. A great deal of our guidance in life takes place when we are not conscious of it, for God knowing the end from the beginning arranges circumstances and events in our lives for our highest good.

The story of Ruth in the Old Testament illustrates most beautifully this important truth. After committing her life to the God of Israel, Ruth, together with her mother-in law, Naomi, came to Bethlehem to eke out their existence in the direst poverty. Things were so bad that Ruth had to try to make ends meet by taking on the job of a gleaner, and whist doing this task, she happened to light on a part of the field which belonged to Boaz. From there the story takes on an entirely different turn, bringing Ruth from poverty and penury to become the wife of one of the richest men of her day. Was this just luck? No-it was the providence of God moving through her life and bringing her in line with His perfect purposes.

How many times do we just happen to be in the right place at the right time? Some years ago I met an evangelist In Tokyo airport who told me he had just missed his plane. As we talked, the announcement came over the public address system that the plane he missed had crashed into a mountain-with no survivors. We knelt together in the midst of that crowded airport to give God thanks for His unconscious guidance, How thankful we ought to be that God is working for our highest good-even when we are not conscious of it.