Isaiah 52:12– But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

The God of Israel will be your rear guard

But you will not leave in haste or go in flight

So many times we begin to worry about what’s going to happen. We spend so much time thinking about the worst scenarios we’re no longer thinking about today. We let our fears and concerns get in the way of moving forward in what the Lord has planned for us. We stress out as if everything is dependent on us. We avoid the problems of today by allowing ourselves to get overwhelmed with what might happen. Not what’s happening, but what might happen. And I don’t know about you, but my worst fears almost never come true. I am great at making a mountain out of a mole hill.

We don’t have to run away from our problems

We don’t have to leave in haste or go in flight. You know the flight of the fight or flight reflex. How many times are we confronted by a problem, only to find ourselves looking for a way to avoid it. We even pride ourselves on it, saying to our friends, “I avoid that problem by…” or “I’m just not going to go to the meeting so I don’t have to talk to …” or “I’m going to schedule something else that night so I don’t have to go”. We even use our children as excuses to avoid responsibilities, worries, frustrations and anxieties. However, those things are all still there tomorrow. The problems or problem people haven’t gone away.

For the Lord will go before you

We can face our problems head on. We don’t have to run away or avoid them. Why, because in our verse above, God promises to go before us. Have you ever had someone call ahead and let someone know you’re coming? When you arrive they might say something like, “Oh, yeah, we knew you were coming”. That’s because someone paved the way. There’s a “Little house on the Prairie Episode” where Mr. Edwards and Charles Ingles are transporting a dangerous explosive. One man has to walk in front of the wagon, filling in holes and removing rocks. That’s what I picture the Lord doing for us. Going ahead of us, removing obstacles, rocks, and filling in the holes so we don’t get too jostled.

Have you ever had the Lord clear your path?

Maybe you remember being able to say – That worked out well. The truth is the Lord had gone before you. Making sure that things would work out for you, to His Glory. I find that the more I talk to the Lord about my hopes and dreams for me and my family, the more I can see the road being cleared for us.

The God of Israel will be your rear guard

What is a rear guard?  Definition of REAR GUARD : a military detachment detailed to bring up and protect the rear of a main body or force