By Dan Jenkins
It is remarkable how often we use the same phrases as we pray. There is nothing wrong with repetition, as long as it is not vain repetition (Matt. 6:7). Over the years I have heard others pray that the preacher might “have a happy recollection of the things he has studied.” I heard it for years but was unable to know what a happy recollection was. I sometimes wondered if the person praying those words knew what he was saying. Another phrase I heard as a youth (it often preceded the words about asking all this in the name of Jesus) was that God would “guide, guard and direct our paths.” It is very possible that those who said these words thought God would whisper in their ears or give them “holy hunches” about whether to turn left or right at the next intersection.
We do need to rely on God to direct our paths but not in the way many think. One passage which helped me to understand how God “guides, guards and directs us” is found in the book of Proverbs. It appears that Solomon literally has his children in mind as he writes this book. The phrase “my son” is found 21 times in this book. It is found 15 times in the first seven chapters. The wise king is trying to impart wisdom to his son.
In chapter six, he tells his son to remember his father’s commandments and his mother’s law. He uses the words “lead” and “keep to” in the way many once prayed using the words “guide, guard and direct.” “When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you…for the commandment is a lamp and the law a light” (Prov. 6:22-23).
Think of how these words about listening to the father apply to us listening to our Father. We ask our Father to guide, guard and direct us, and His commandments become a lamp and a law to direct our paths.
Now note one other admonition Solomon gave his son regarding his teachings. “Bind them continually upon your heart; tie them around your neck.” The father’s words can never guide, guard and direct the son if the son does not remember. Wherever the son went, he took his father’s words with him to lead him in the right way.
Isn’t this a beautiful picture of how God can guide us and lead us in the paths of righteousness. “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple…the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes” (Psa. 19:7-8). So, as you ask God to help you walk close to Him, realize that when we bind His words on our hearts and tie them around our neck these very words become a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Letting Him guide, guard and direct demands Bible study.