The word prepared is derived from an ancient custom of sending servants ahead of a king to have things ready for his arrival. But the King of kings goes in advance of His servants and prepares the road ahead of us. We don’t know this in advance, so we have to overcome our fears, step out in faith, and follow Him. And as we look back, we can say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6). In Ephesians 2:10, notice the words “good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” When you follow God, you’re walking a prepared path. It’s important to keep this in mind. When you find yourself in difficult circumstances, you need to know that God is directing your footsteps (see Psalm 37:23). You have assurance because you know that God has considered every contingency in your life and that He always has your best interest at heart. The psalmist David wrote, “I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too – your reassuring presence, coming and going…I can’t take it all in!” (Psalm 139:1-6 MSG). If David, whom God called “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22 NKJV), couldn’t take it all in, you won’t either. But God is not asking you to figure Him out; He is just asking you to trust Him.