Youth Pastors often have the most “creative” (some say “unhinged”) ways of relaying lessons to youth in a way that sticks. When I was in youth group as a student, my Youth Pastor paired off the entire group. One person in each pair was handed a blindfold, while the other could see. We started in the church basement, and the seeing person’s objective was to safely guide the “blind” person to the sanctuary using only verbal commands (no touching or leading allowed). I remember knowing what was coming and praying for a good partner, mostly so I wouldn’t be made a fool tripping up the stairs, as I was inevitably the one who would be blindfolded. I was a shy student, so avoiding embarrassment reigned supreme in my mind, and I remember straining to hear the voice of my partner over all the other instructions the other “blind” students were being given. The volume was ever increasing, and I was sure to “eat it” before I made it to the sanctuary. Thankfully, I did make it unscathed, but it was loud and chaotic. There were at least two students that hit the ground in some spectacular way, but usually no one was really hurt. It was a powerful lesson in listening to the voice of God for guidance.

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Sometimes life gets loud. It screams at you when you start going a different way than they want. “No! Not that way! Follow ME!” …and so forth, and before you know it, you’re anxious, bleeding (usually figuratively speaking), and confused about the deception from the voice you trusted. Look at the word used in today’s Scripture: “Instruct,” “teach,” “counsel.” None of these words are frantic, screaming or anxiety-inducing. I see more so a picture of a wise owl flying overhead and looking far down the path you’re on, then coming back to perch on your shoulder and calmly explaining the way to go and what lies ahead. Some instruction may include, “this will be hard,” “You’ll likely get dirty here,” “watch out for this deception.” Yet even with less than exciting advice to follow, there is something incredibly calming in the voice of someone who knows and sees the whole path ahead.

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If you had this kind of instruction, it is highly unlikely you’d take matters into your own hands and think you know better, yet this is exactly what many of us do. Sometimes it is hard to believe that the wisest thing to do is to rely on our faith in a God we cannot necessarily see to instruct our life. Faith means trusting God enough to surrender our plans and take the next step, believing that He can do more through our obedience than we can do through our control. This is counterintuitive, as our knee-jerk reaction when something pops up in our life is to grasp fiercely to the perceived control we have. Meanwhile, God is speaking calmly and assuredly, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go…” What good news that we get the very best partner of all, who sees your whole path and “counsels” us with His eye upon us. He is with us every blind step we take. He is not surprised like we are in life’s curveballs. He loves us. There is nothing better than being “paired off” with the God who loves you.  

What in your life has you straining your neck trying to get a better view of what is to come? What has you cowering in a corner with your blindfold, wondering when all the voices screaming instructions will quiet? Does God really see what is going on? Too often, I give a situation over to the Lord, only to reclaim it to worry over it rather than truly trusting He’s got it.  

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Back in youth group, the roles were reversed, and I had the opportunity to lead someone after I had first been blindfolded. I made it my mission to be the voice that I longed for when I couldn’t see. I got close to my partner so only they could hear me calmly instruct them with kindness and no urgency in my voice. I would say things like, “You’re going to take three more steps, and the stairs are on your right. Once you step up, there are 23 steps to the top, and the railing is on your right. Yes, that’s it! Good job.” Because of my proximity to my partner, they got to know my voice and listened intently, carefully obeying each instruction. It was quickly understood that frantic loud instruction caused the chaos that resulted in injury. As I wasn’t the only one to learn this lesson, round two was noticeably less chaotic. We can trust God’s calm and steady instruction. He not only knows what is coming but also knows each of us intimately. He has His eye upon us. That should bring us so much comfort because we do not have to figure it out ourselves.

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God, we are so thankful for Your teaching and instruction. It is so comforting to know you can see our whole path and simply want us to trust your counsel. Help us to trust You. We sometimes want to trust our own instincts. Help us to know Your voice so well that we can easily discern when you’re speaking and trust and obey. Amen.