Guidance

“I will instruct and teach you in this way that you are to go; I will give you counsel; my eyes will be watching you.”

Psalm 32:8

CJB Bible

In September of two-thousand seven, I attended a professional photography conference in Captiva Island, Florida. My two friends and business partners accompanied me on the journey. They envisioned the trip as a building, strengthening, and growing time for our newly-founded photography studio.  

Early in my travel to the island, I noticed a draw to the presence of God in the journey—an invitation to join Him at Captiva Island. Embracing the call, I asked for a “God Picture”—immediately, a verse jumped into my mind and was confirmed as I opened my Bible to the highlighted scripture.

I boarded an Island trolley, searching for the scripture etched in my mind. The driver, eager to take me to my friends, changed courses suddenly, understanding a photograph demanded my capture. So we traveled across the island, leaving me steps from the Gulf of Mexico with a perfect rainbow directly above, eyeing my arrival.

I stood in awe, hypnotized by the beauty in front of me—making a plan to capture the photograph; I recognized time was of the essence. I searched for a pathway leading to the rainbow. Remembering the scripture gave me clear direction. 

Droplets of rain demanded a quick response leading me toward the dock. I stepped onto a narrow path with the rainbow to my left, seeing a white pier in the distance—I pictured the path leading to the rainbow. I walked the pathway until warning signs alerted me of the broken road, impossible to travel.

I paused and prayed, “God, don’t let me miss this moment. Help me capture the picture you have for me.” Then, turning to the left—a small, white fishing boat sailing below the rainbow arrived. I glanced at the pier and back at the boat, then shot two frames capturing two divine photographs.  

Pursuing the pier led me to accept a ride from a resident parked in the covered garage behind the path. Explaining my attempt to capture the rainbow from the pier gave him the ammunition to try to beat the well-timed rain. An insurmountable storm washed everything in sight, including the rainbow—leaving me to shelter beneath the awning of a charming house amidst the view of the pier where the resident dropped me off.

I inspected the photograph on my computer back in my room, convinced the larger view would expose any hidden gems. I believed that God had shown Himself this day and wondered if He perhaps left a snapshot of His angel in the clouds. In an instant, my eyes opened to see an eye in the clouds. Further study of the photograph revealed the crown lining the eye and the hands holding the storm. 

This photograph is named Guidance and numbered gimel ג, the Hebrew letter and number in the form of a vav with a yud as a foot—a person in motion. Gimel ג means: three, camel, bridge, weaning, benevolence, rich man, and more.

 In Joshua one, the Lord gives Joshua a charge. The time had come for the promise of God to be fulfilled; Joshua and the Israelites were now trained warriors fit for battle. God was ready too. “The time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.” He promised Joshua, “Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you.”   

God had chosen Joshua to lead the people; however, obedience to the Lord’s instructions was crucial for success; he could not deviate to the left or the right. Joshua was to study and meditate on the book of instructions; only then would he prosper.

Attentive to obeying God’s instructions, Joshua mindfully applied past lessons to keep him on the road to victory. He resolved to serve God wholeheartedly and took God at His word seeking the impossible—such as the sun standing still until the battle was won—from God.

Joshua understood the call, embraced the preparation needed, and, most of all, the faithfulness of God to keep His promises. God promised, “I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.” He charged Joshua to be courageous, not discouraged or afraid; God would fight alongside him.  

Joshua 3:13 says, “When the priests who are carrying the Ark touch the water with their feet, the river will stop flowing as though held back by a dam and will pile up as though against an invisible wall!  

God has all power, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He knows the battle before us and has carefully planned the strategy to overcome it. God gives us the same charge, “This is my command—Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord, your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

©Ana Gill