by Marilyn Ehle
“Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us.” Romans 15:3
“we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.” Hebrew 12:1
Many cultures have within their lore stories similar to Hansel and Gretel, a tale of Germanic origin and adapted by the Brothers Grimm: people happy and cared for, subsequent misfortune, loss, apparent escape, even greater danger and final deliverance. When the children are lost in the woods we read these words: “as (Hansel) walked through the trees, he left a trail of crumbs behind him to mark the way.”
How often do we feel like these lost children, wandering through a life that seems dark with dangerous shadows, not only unsure of our destination, but uncertain which fork of the road to take. Perhaps it is job uncertainty, or career choices or relationship questions. Sometimes it is even doubt about God’s love or leading. What are some crumbs on the path to mark our way?
Author John Baillie writes, “I thank Thee that this Christian way whereon I walk is no untried or uncharted road, but a road beaten hard by the footsteps of saints, apostles, prophets, and martyrs. I thank Thee for the finger-posts and danger signals with which it is marked at every turning and which may be known to me through study of the Bible and of all history, and of all the great literature of the world.”
God often directs us through the quiet voice of his Spirit speaking to the inner places of our own spirits, but He has also given us more visible crumbs along the way. It is of vital important that we pay close attention to those crumbs.
Bread crumbs don’t seem like much, Lord, but sometimes those crumbs are all we have to follow. Thank you that through your Holy Spirit the crumbs can be magnified and thus visible to our seeking eyes.
1. How did people now in that “great cloud of witnesses” discern God’s leading?
2. What good (and poor) choices did they make? What can I learn from them?
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2011/10/04/me_follow-the-crumbs/