When God leads his people in obvious ways, it doesn’t ensure that they’ll actually follow. So instead, God often leads from behind. That’s what he explained to Abraham in Genesis 17:1, ““I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.”
You could also say it, “Walk before me so that you can become blameless.” We need to walk before God. Live a life that’s completely open to God. A life that’s open to him looking at every part of our lives… even the hidden little parts that you’d rather keep in the dark. A life that’s open to him guiding you and exerting his influence over you. And as a result, he’ll make you blameless.
The image that God was trying to paint for Abraham, a guy who owned hundreds or thousands of sheep, was of a shepherd guiding his sheep. A shepherd doesn’t walk in front of his sheep and say “follow me!” A shepherd walks behind them, and guides with his voice and his staff.
It’s like teaching a kid to ride a bike, as I was just trying to do with my daughter Talia last week. She wanted me to walk in front of her and hold the handlebars, so she could see me at all times and be reassured by my presence. I tried it for about 30 seconds, but it was impossible. You need to walk behind the bike, holding the seat and helping to lean into the turns and stay straight.
There are times in life when God seems invisible. When it feels like you’re forging through uncharted territory, and you’re all by yourself. But the promise of God is that if you are walking before him – if you allow yourself to be open to his inspection and influence – then he’ll be guiding you from behind, with the purpose of making you blameless.
Everybody knows Romans 8:28, “God works all things together for the good of those who love him, those who are called according to his name.” Most of us conveniently forget the next verse, “ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”
The good that God wants to accomplish in your life is to conform you to the likeness of his son. He’s working in all things, at all times, to make you more like Jesus!