"All the Way My Savior Leads Me" - this precious hymn, special because I have seen its truth powerfully illustrated throughout my life, has been in my thoughts recently. I know it has brought me to tears multiple times, usually when the path was particularly difficult but my heart still knew the words were true.
1. 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.
This first stanza is about faith
and trust in a good and faithful God. That's not always easy, but the
unshakeable truth is that it is always valid. The bottom line is that we can
trust God every step and turn along the way. Yes, no matter what happens, He does
all things well. "Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy
statutes" (Psalm 119:68).
2. All the way my Savior leads
me, - Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for ev’ry trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.Tho my weary steps may falter And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! a spring of joy I see.
The second stanza speaks of God's
help and support on the journey. He is with us every step of the way - every
day. God is not detached or ambivalent. No, He loves us, and He knows our
weakness. When our strength is gone and even our desire to keep walking
disappears, God gives comfort and grace, refreshment and provision. It is
through Him that we can keep going. "In the day when I cried thou
answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul" (Psalm
138:3).
3. 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 thru endless ages: Jesus led me all the way.
The third stanza talks about the glorious end of our journey. No matter what this life brings or where this life leads, we know our final destination. We know that someday the troubles of this life will be ended and everything will be made right. In the here and now, we sometimes question and doubt and forget, but when our journey is over, we will be able to say with confidence that God did indeed lead us all the way. "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory" (Psalm 73:24).
Abraham's path was one of wandering. He obeyed God's guidance but never saw the fulfillment of most of the promises, except by faith.
Joseph's path was filled with bewildering setbacks. All he did was try to follow God and do right, but his path repeatedly took hard and unexpected turns.
Moses' path led him directly away from where he thought he could be used and into a long period of apparent uselessness. Finally, when God brought him into a place of service, he was opposed and challenged by the people he was supposed to help.
David's path was completely unexpected. The shepherd boy had no reason to even dream of being king. But his tumultuous path toward being king must have made it seem like God's promises would never come true.
Esther's path contained responsibility and danger that she never asked for.
Jeremiah's path was filled with opposition from absolutely everyone - except God.
Daniel's path, while not without difficult testing, led him higher than he probably ever expected to go.
Paul's path revolutionized his life, taking him from a position of power and prestige to a life of travel and persecution and deprivation.
We find elements of these Bible characters in our own stories. We face some of the same characteristics. Our faith gets challenged, life throws us curveballs, we face dry spells of waiting, our plans may seem impossible to achieve, we face unwanted risk, we experience opposition, we sometimes are placed in positions of leadership we never asked for, and our lives may be filled with trouble and resistance.
None of those things change the fact that God is leading. In fact, they are often the direct evidence and outworking of His leading. Whether we understand or not, and even whether we agree or not, God is doing exactly what He wants to do in our lives. He is guiding, and He guides with wisdom, love, and power. Such a good and faithful God is worthy of our trust and obedience. Our souls can be calmed in knowing that God is the one in control.
"And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Daniel 4:35).
This week may you rest confidently in His guidance. May you have comfort, grace, and strength for every challenge. May you be encouraged and motivated by the hope of heaven. All the way He has led you, and all the way He will continue to lead you. "When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewedst my path" (Psalm 142:3). He knows your path - what has already passed, where you are now, and exactly where He will take you.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
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