Finding Hidden Pathways

“Your road led through the sea, Your pathway through the mighty waters— a pathway no one knew was there!”
Psalm 77:19 (NLT)

Spiritual guidance is often a Divine mystery! The Apostle Paul described it as trying to see through a fog or a cloud in 1 Corinthians 13:12. It’s not always crystal clear. Despite how much we would like for God’s guidance to be as easy to follow as a GPS, He often takes us down hidden paths. In recalling how God led Israel out of Egypt, one of the Psalm writers, Asaph, said, “Your road led through the sea, Your pathway through mighty waters – a pathway no one knew was there!” Psalm 77:19 (NLT) I love the exclamation point at the end of that statement. Imagine being one of those Israelites, fleeing from Egypt after being enslaved for over 400 years.  You're part of the millions that escape, and you came to the Red Sea following Moses, who claimed to be following God’s guidance. Then, you find yourself stuck with the sea in front of you and the entire Egyptian army chasing fast after you from behind. You have no place to go! Why would God lead us here? What could Moses have been thinking to bring us to this place? Did we miss God’s guidance? Is this the end of the road?

Have you ever felt like that in your spiritual journey? You follow where you think God is leading, but it seems like you’ve come to a dead end. Circumstances get worse. You can’t see a single path to take that would get you out of your situation. Where’s God? I imagine the Israelites were asking that question. Then, God moves in the most mysterious way, as He so often does. We know the story. It’s one of the most amazing miracles in the Bible, yet when we face our Red Sea experiences, we are so prone to forget what God did for Israel. He made a way where there seemed to be no way! It reminds me of a song that I love by Don Moen. Here are the lyrics:

God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me

He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way

Maybe you feel stuck with no way out. You find yourself at a dead end, and circumstances just go from bad to worse, no matter how much you pray. Take heart, my friend. God has not forgotten you, nor did He abandon you. The more you walk with God, the more you will experience the mystery of His guidance, providing hidden pathways when you couldn’t see where to go or what to do. We’re discovering more and more that the path is often hidden until you start the journey. Step out in faith, believing God to provide where He guides. He will make a way where there seems to be no way!