He Leadeth Me
1. Walking With The Lord
It was wonderful to have several of our grandchildren with us at our Sunday School Picnic on Saturday. After we ate, and they played at the playground, they wanted to walk down to the water's edge and throw rocks in the creek. We decided to follow the winding trail through the woods to the end, actually back to where we started. Even after the long day Micah, Jedidiah and Maggie had energy to run short races, and then they would stop and wait for us. Elsa got tired and Susanna lifted her up on her shoulders, so I pushed Felicity in the stroller. Once when we got quite a bit behind Felicity mumbled out a complaint that sounded like she was trying to tell me to catch up with the others, so I pushed a little faster until we were beside her Mom. On the way home, in the quietness, the Lord reminded me of the great old song, "He Leadeth Me". I want the Lord to lead me, but sometimes in my impatience I run ahead and then I have to stop and wait. Other times I lag behind and feel His hand nudging me along. And then there are the times when I get tired and weary and He gently lifts me up and carries me.
"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." (Psalm 23:2-4)
2. "He Leadeth Me"
This great old song was written by Joseph Henry Gilmore (1834-1918). Let's begin with the words of this blessed hymn and see where the Lord leads.
1 He leadeth me! O blessed thought,
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught;
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ’tis Christ’s hand that leadeth me.
Chorus
He leadeth me! He leadeth me!
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.
2 Sometimes ’mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.
3 Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine,
Nor ever murmur or repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since it is Thou that leadest me.
4 And when my task on earth is done,
When, by Thy grace, the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since Thou in triumph leadest me.
3. God Leads Us With The Light
I heard a noise that woke me up the other night, so I took my little flashlight and looked through the house. I didn't find what had caused the noise, but the light helped me see that everything was okay, because light shines through the darkness. God created it that way from the very beginning. "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness." (Genesis 1:3-4) The earth was full of darkness and God created light. Before He made anything else, He made light, and the light helps us see the way. Just as we use light to see with our natural eyes, God gives us Light to see with our spiritual eyes. Jesus is the Light. "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12) God has provided a way so that we don't have to walk in darkness. He has given us the Light to lead us and guide us. "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." (I John 1:5) If you feel like you are walking in the dark, and can't see your way out, look to the Light. Turn to Jesus in prayer and ask Him to give you light to lead you.
4. We Walk By Faith, Not By Sight
Often when I have decisions to make, I wish that I had a large pillar of cloud to guide me like God did for the Children of Israel. It should have been so easy for them to follow the Lord, and yet they still murmured and complained. They had a pillar of cloud during the day, and it showed them where to make camp, and then it lifted and led them in the way that they were to go when it was time to move on. God even provided a pillar of fire by night, that gave them light so that they didn't have to dwell in the darkness. Wouldn't that be nice when you are looking for a job... just follow the cloud to the right place? Or maybe, you need to move to another house... just look for the cloud sitting over the right house. When our car was totaled in the wreck it would have been so much easier if we could have followed a cloud to find the car that God wanted us to buy. God wants to lead and guide us, just as much as He did for His children in the wilderness. He doesn't lead us around with a cloud, but He gives us faith. "(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)" (II Corinthians 5:7) Where do we get this faith? Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. It takes faith to believe on Jesus to save you, and faith to follow Him and let Him lead you.
"13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:13-17)
5. God Can Lead Us Through Signs
When I was cooking breakfast Tuesday morning I noticed that my toes were sticky. I took a wet cloth and wiped the floor where I was standing. Later, when I was washing lunch dishes I noticed that I had stepped in something sticky again. I wiped my feet and tried again to wipe the floor. After the third time I took it as a sign that it was time for me to mop my kitchen floor. Signs can be more important than dirty floors. Last week my doctor prescribed a new asthma medication. After only a few days, I feel like the side effects are a sign that this is the wrong medication for me. Sometimes it is hard to know what path God wants us to take, but He can show us things through signs when we look for them. Look at the fourth day of creation. God not only gave us the sun, moon, and stars for light, but also for signs. "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:" (Genesis 1:14) The prophets foretold signs of the coming of Christ. "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) The angels gave a sign to the shepherds. "And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." (Luke 2:12) God also gives us signs in the Bible of the last days. We can see that these signs are quickly coming to pass, and we need to make sure we are on the right path and being led by God.
"1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away...
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (II Timothy 3:1-7)
6. God's Word Is A Light Unto My Path
When my son went away to college I would send him short devotionals, via email, to encourage him in his new journey. I had been keeping devotional journals for many years, but this was the first time I was writing something for another person to read. One day Michael came home and told me about a meeting he had at work on how to start your own web site. He helped me get started and that is how this devotional page began, way back in 2003. I chose Psalm 119:105 for the title verse because God's Word is so important in my daily walk with the Lord. I can truly say, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." We see two types of light in this verse. When I am out walking at night with a flashlight I shine the light at my feet so that I don't stumble. Occasionally, I will point the light out straight ahead to see what lies in my pathway. God's Word is just like that. When I read my Bible God sometimes shows me things that I need for that day. He will often show me something in a verse I just read for the daily devotional. Sometimes God gives me a verse to prepare me and help me make choices for things that are coming up in my life. Yesterday, today, or for tomorrow, God's Word will never change. In our daily living we may hear something, or read something, and the next time we look it up it has changed. But, we can trust in the Word of God to always be the same. "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven." (Psalm 119:89) It is amazing to know that God has given us His written Word to lead us and guide us. He can guide you in the right path with His Word.
7. We Are Led By The Spirit
When I was a teenager our youth group had several young preachers and we would have street corner meetings, tent meetings and cottage prayer meetings. The young preachers would preach the gospel to all who would come and listen, and the youth choir would sing. I remember sitting in the yard of such a meeting and Preacher Tim White was preaching from Acts 16 and he suddenly started yelling, "He went west! He went west!" I was young at the time and it took me a little while to understand the importance of his statement. He was telling us that Paul carried the gospel message westward, which eventually brought the truth of the scriptures to America. Our country was founded on Christian beliefs and I am so grateful that God let me be born in the "Bible Belt" of the United States of America! Paul tells us in Romans 8:14, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." He knew firsthand what it was to be led by the Spirit of God. Many times when I don't know which way to go, I pray and I don't hear a loud voice telling me which way to go, but I can tell in my heart that God is leading me through the Holy Spirit. Since my doctor left his office I have been praying and praying that God would lead me to the right doctor. I am happy to say that Thursday I had an appointment with a new doctor and he took time to listen to my problems and it was a good visit. I feel like God answered my prayers! When I am out driving and I make a wrong turn, I try to never get upset about it, because it could be God changing my direction for a very important reason. I am so very thankful that God leads us and guides us in the way He wants us to go.
"6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them." (Acts 16:6-10)
8. We Are Led By God's Providence
I was trying to think of some Biblical examples who were led by God and I realized that I had already talked about many of them last week in our "Don't Quit" devotions. When we let God lead us and we follow according to His guidance, then that would certainly help give us the gumption to keep on keeping on. One example that I do want to use shows us another way that God leads us, and that is Ruth. Ruth had a "hap". She is actually the only person in the Bible who is described by her hap. We might use the word "happened" in our conversations today, but this Biblical reference is so much more than something that just happened. Some might call it luck, but it is actually speaking of God's providence. "And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech." (Ruth 2:3) The book of Ruth is a beautiful love story of a Moabite woman going home with her mother-in-law to care for her after both their husbands died. Through the providence of God her hap was to be in the field of Boaz, and he saw her, and eventually took her for his bride. God rewarded Ruth's faithfulness and blessed her with marriage and a son who was the grandfather of King David. Sometimes we are in the right place at the right time for God to use us, and we know that it didn't just happen, and it wasn't luck, but it is only through the providence of God Almighty.
9. God Led Several Men In The Bible Through Dreams
I could not think of any other ways I could mention that God used to lead us, and as I was reading in Genesis I was reminded that God led men through dreams. The story of Jacob's dream of the ladder reaching to heaven with angels going up and down on it is very familiar to many. God gave Joseph dreams which came true and he also gave him a gift of interpreting the dreams of others. In the New Testament God gave Peter a vision to lead him to carry the Gospel message to the Gentiles. We have the Bible that we can read and God can speak to us through His Word so we don't rely on Him to speak to us in dreams. But, God can and sometimes does tell us things through dreams. There have been times that I felt like God was leading me to be cautious of my surroundings after a bad dream the night before. We also think of dreams as being our inspiration to reach out towards our goals in life. In this light, we have visions of making life better not only for ourselves, but for those around us. We see this exemplified in Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."
10. Following In Baptism
Sunday night was a very special service. Andrew, my son-in-law, baptized his son, Jedidiah. It was such a joy to see another one of my grandchildren being baptized. In the last verses of the book of Matthew, Jesus tells us to follow Him in believer's baptism. It is wonderful to see our loved ones being led by the Lord and following him.
"18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20)
11. He Leadeth Me In The Way
Have you ever felt like the Lord was telling you to do something, and you did, and you had that totally blessed feeling afterwards? Sunday we were in church with some wonderful teaching and preaching, followed by a baptism and fellowship. After we got home Sunday night I typed up my devotions for Monday. I felt like the Lord was reminding me that I had not had my personal Bible reading. I decided to clean my kitchen, after such a busy day, and afterwards I kept feeling like I needed to take time to read my Bible before I went to bed. I sat down and when I came to Genesis 24:27, I knew that was it. God wanted to show me another truth about His leading. Abraham had sent his servant to find a bride for Isaac. He took ten camels and went to Mesopotamia and rested by a well. He prayed that he would know when the right woman came to the well to draw water if he asked her for a drink, and she offered to water his camels also. Rebekah came to the well and she gave him a drink, and drew water for all of his camels. I am sure that it would take a lot of work, to water ten camels who had traveled across a desert. And she was of the right family. She told him that they had room for them to lodge. "And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren." Here was my verse! This was my message from the Lord! "I being in the way, the LORD led me..." He was in the right way of the Lord. If we want the Lord to lead us we must be in His way. Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) To follow Jesus, we must be in the straight and narrow way. The world does not understand how we can follow Jesus, because they are not in the straight and narrow way.
12. He Leads Me One Step At A Time
I have two grand babies that are learning how to walk. They learned to crawl, and are pulling themselves up, and soon they will take those first steps. It is exciting to watch a baby take his first steps. But, it takes time. All of the things we learn is done in steps. We learn the alphabet before we learn to read. We learn numbers before we learn to count, and add, and subtract. We live our lives one step at a time. When we are growing up we want to hurry and become an adult. We wish that time would speed up, but then as we get older we wish time would slow down. God leads us step by step. As we learn from His Word, He teaches us more, little by little, step by step. "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:" (Isaiah 28:10) We often hear young people say, "I wish I was older." Don't be impatient and wish away the time you have today. Enjoy the journey, one step at a time. And let the Lord lead you, one step at a time. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way." (Psalm 37:23)
13. He Leads Me Through The Storms
When a huge tropical storm starts heading towards land we watch the projected path and pray that it will turn and go back out to sea. We all like the Bible story when Jesus was on the boat with the disciples and He said, "Peace, be still." "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:39) It is wonderful when the Lord calms the storms in our lives. But, many times the Lord leads us through the storms. In the 27th chapter of Acts we find Paul in a great storm at sea. God was with him all the way. We all go through storms. Sometimes God calms the storm, and sometimes God calms us and leads us through the storm.
"40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land." (Acts 27:40-44)
14. "God Leads Us Along"
Today I want to share a good old song. "God Leads Us Along" was written by George A. Young in 1903. I remember this song from my childhood. I like the old songs that can still speak to us. "To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." (John 10:3) I am thankful for our Good Shepherd that leads us along.
"God Leads Us Along"
In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along;
Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,
God leads His dear children along.
Refrain:
Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.
Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright,
God leads His dear children along;
Sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night,
God leads His dear children along.
Though sorrows befall us and Satan oppose,
God leads His dear children along;
Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,
God leads His dear children along.
Away from the mire, and away from the clay,
God leads His dear children along;
Away up in glory, eternity’s day,
God leads His dear children along.
15. "All The Way My Savior Leads Me"
As we close our series on "He Leadeth Me" I want to share another great old song. It was written by Fanny J. Crosby in 1975. She was blind, but she wrote thousands of songs and hymns, many that are still sung today. This is one of my favorites, and I can sing with her, "For I know, whate'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well!"
"All The Way My Savior Leads Me"
All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.
All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread;
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living Bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.
All the way my Savior leads me
O the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way Jesus led me all the way.
