Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who directs you in the way you should go. (Isaiah 48:17)

God seems to spend a lot of time in the book of Isaiah warning His people of the trouble they’ll experience if they wander away from Him, but He also reminds them again and again of the benefits of following Him.

As kids, we may choose to obey God to avoid punishment and experience rewards. While those are certainly strong motivations, God appeals to us to respond in a more mature way, to enjoy a rich relationship instead of just the consequences of punishments and rewards. He reminds us of His role as our Redeemer, who paid a high price to forgive us, and He tells us again about His character as a God of infinite love and blinding holiness. By His actions and His nature, He has proven that we can trust Him.

Trust implies relationship and interaction. God will lead us as we stay connected to Him. Well be attentive to the still small voice of the Spirit as He whispers to us, and well respond when He reminds us of the passages of Scripture that give us guidance. That’s what it means to be led by God and when it comes to the direction of our lives, our Heavenly Father knows best. But if we are busy and too preoccupied to pay attention to the Spirit, well miss His leading.