2905 South Frontage Rd Plant City, FL 33566

A message from:

Rev. Fr. Anthony Thekkanath VC
Center Director

To Be Led by God

In the Old and New Testaments God uses the analogy of shepherd and sheep to describe the relationship between God and his people (Ref: Ezekiel 34; John 10). The underlying message is that the people of God must be led by God their Shepherd. This is a message for us too. We have to be led by God. Bible reveals many people who were led by God.

Moses who was chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt, the land of slavery, desires that he himself should be led by God. That is why he says: “And he said to him, “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here… In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth” (Ex. 33, 15-16). He wants to be led by God all the time and he even sees it as a distinctive feature of the people of God.

Generally, people think they are self-sufficient and are able to take care of themselves, that is, they can guide themselves. Take the example of Peter: Jesus warned him that he would deny Jesus three times before the cock crows; Peter said so vehemently that he would not do it even if others would, and we know what happened to peter(Mk. 14, 26-31). In a way he was depending on himself. But after his denial when Jesus turned and looked at him, “he went out and wept bitterly” (Mt. 26,75). This shows that he was ready to be led by Him.

If we are led by God we won’t react for anything happens in our life, not even for negative experiences. This is evident from Moses’ life: he was bitterly criticized by his own brother and sister – Aaron and Miriam. But Moses did not react or utter a single word. It was his firm belief that if he was led by God, it is He who has to intervene and take care of him; and that is what exactly happened (Nm. 12). 

Initially Prophet Jonah was leading himself with his own will, that is the reason when he was instructed by God to go to Nineveh and preach repentance he fled to Tarshish (1, 1-2). Later incidents taught him that he should be guided by God himself and the result was wonderful: the whole city of Nineveh was converted (3, 1-10). Hence when one person is led by God remarkable things will happen in one’s own life and that of others.

St. Paul in his early life was a person who was led by his own plans and designs. But after the Damascus experience he became a changed person (Acts 9). The Acts of Apostles clearly shows that his later life was totally led by God.

God will guide and lead those whom He chooses and those people who dedicate themselves to God. Then there will be blessings and progress in their lives and that of others. Let us dedicate ourselves to God to be guided and led by Him.