My Savior Leads Me

Fanny Crosby wrote in her beautiful hymn,

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.

photo credit

2012 was a year that, for me, held both sorrow and great triumph. Like Dickens wrote, "It was the best of times...it was the worst of times." The Lord granted us a sweet, soon-to-arrive little girl and so many other blessings! He gave us memories that I will cherish forever. He is, indeed, a GOOD God. And yet in the midst of beauty, He also allowed us to walk in the darkness. Sometimes I was afraid. Some moments I was angry. Other times, I could only sit and cry and ask God the question we always seem to ask - "WHY??"

If I could sum up 2012 - personally - it would be, He led. 

In life, there will be days when we walk through valleys and deserts where, quite frankly, our spirit and even our flesh cries out in agony. Other days we will walk on mountain tops where we are high above all the trouble and pain and heartache that seem to cover the world we live in. But still He leads. Our great Savoir is far above all that we can see or think and He has more than we can ever imagine in His plan for our lives. He calls us to follow Him. And though our typical, Christian answer is to say, "Yes, Lord, we will follow You," our actions rarely obey the call. He calls us higher. He calls us to trust Him. He asks us to let Him lead. He may take us through deserts where we feel nothing but dry, desert sand that leaves us panting with thirst. He may take us through dangerous storms that threaten to plummet us. He may lead us through darkness so thick that we wonder if we will ever see light again. Up and down, twists and turns, darkness and sunshine.... sometimes it may look as though we will never reach "the end." But if there one thing I have learned, and will no doubt continue to learn, in 2012 it is that our great Shepherd leads all the way. And He leads well. He truly never forsakes. The pain that we experience in doing His will is so very little in comparison to the pain of not trusting the Master's voice. The fear we may feel in following Him is only a little shadow that He can rebuke with one word. As Fanny Crosby wrote, For I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well. All things.

Regardless of the past, I pray that this year - in 2013 - you and I will both answer His call to daily die to self, pick up our cross, and follow Him. One year from now, when we look back on 2013, I pray we can say that He led us...and He is still leading. Let us then let Him lead us....all the way.

He's Always Been Faithful To Me

Morning by morning I wake up to find
The power and comfort of God’s hand in mine
Season by season I watch Him, amazed
In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He’s always been faithful to me.

I can’t remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain
I can’t remember one single regret
In serving God only, and trusting His hand
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He’s always been faithful to me.

This is my anthem, this is my song
The theme of the stories I’ve heard for so long
God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He’s always been faithful, He’s always been faithful
He’s always been faithful to me.

Pray It Down

Several months ago, in Sunday School, my aunt repeated this phrase: pray it down. It has stuck in my head ever since. And in just a few short months of using her wise advice, I have seen God work.

I have been a wife for just shy of two years. I have been a mommy for ten and a half months. I'm new at this. I don't have it all figured out. Before I married Grant, I lived at home with my family. I had a few bills like car insurance and such, but I didn't pay the water bill, the electric bill, the house note, or the credit card bill. I didn't buy all the groceries for the family. However, now I help Grant in managing our monthly income and paying our bills, and it's up to ME to plan and shop for a month's worth of meals. At first, it sounded easy enough. HA!   It's not....

My husband gets paid once a month so, once a month, I make a big grocery-shopping trip. Before hand, I do some thinking on what meals I plan to cook that are healthy and filling, what ingredients I can buy that can go the greatest length, and I look for various coupons that can be used.

I'm not cheap. I'm just frugal, and I want to be wise with the money that my husband works so hard for. I want to stretch it and bless my family and my husband with how I manage it.
  
That being said, this one particular Sunday, my aunt's phrase of pray it down really struck a chord with me. I had run out of baby fruit for Nathan and I just didn't want to go buy more. Payday was coming up soon. It could wait. I had vegetables and beans but, in my momma-heart, I reeeeeeally wanted my boy to have fruit too.

Philippians 4:6 says, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." I always seem to put my supplications into a priority list for God.

Asking for a new vacuum cleaner isn't as important as asking that He will heal my husband's headache.   
    
Ever do that?
    
But Philippians says otherwise. The Lord CARES about His children; just as I care about my little boy. As joint-heirs with Christ, we have the authority to come before our Heavenly Father and tell him our troubles, our concerns, our dreams, and our needs. He answers every prayer. Sometimes the answer we get isn't what we want, but He does give an answer and He ultimately has our very best in view.

So with that in mind, I went to God and prayed for baby fruit. Trivial as it sounds, I really wanted it for Nathan. So I prayed it down. Less than two days later, CASES (I will repeat, CASES) of baby fruit were on my kitchen floor. So much so that I still have some leftover that I will be giving away!

He is faithful!

It was such a "small" thing. But the Lord honores the fervent prayer of His saints... Yes, even the prayers of a mommy who simply wants baby fruit for her baby or new socks for her kids. So, ladies (and gentlemen too!), do not let your heart be troubled or burdened with your cares. Go to your Father with your needs and pray them down!
      
Psalm 116:1
I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
 

Childlike Faith

Tonight, I was reminded of a story in my old devotional. It was exactly what I needed to read. Let me share it with you:

This little story is about a little boy whose grandmother promised him a stamp album for Christmas. The little boy was so excited! Christmas came....with no word from grandma...and no stamp album. After Christmas passed, the little boy was proudly naming all his presents to his playmates. Then to his mother's astonishment, he said, "And I got a stamp album from my grandma!"

She mentioned it to him saying, "Georgie, you did not get a stamp album. Why did you say you did?"

He simply replied, "Well, Mamma, grandma said, so it is the same as." What faith!

Days passed and still no word from grandma came. The mother told the little boy that it looked like his grandma had forgotten her promise. The boy replied, "Oh no, Momma. She hasn't." Then a few minutes passed and he said, "Do you think it would do any good if I should write to her thanking her for the album?" She said he could give it a try. So a letter was sent. In a short time, a letter came for Georgie which said, My dear Georgie, I have not forgotten my promise to you, of an album. I tried to get such a book as you desired, but could not get the kind you wanted; so I sent on to New York. It did not get here until after Christmas, and it was still not right, so I sent for another, and as it has not come yet, I send you three dollars to get one in Chicago. Your loving grandma.

As he read the letter, he face lit up and he said, "Now, Momma, didn't I tell you?"

The end of the devotional left this profound statement - It is so human to want sight when we step out on the promises of God, but our Savior said to Thomas, and to the long roll of doubters who have ever since followed him: "Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believe."

Mark 11:24 -
"...What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

Great Things He Hath Done!

Has the Lord ever worked a miracle in your life?

Has He ever healed you?

Has He ever given you the strength to endure another trial?

Has our God ever delivered you from temptation?

Has Jesus ever spoke peace to your storm?

Has the Holy Spirit ever comforted your weary heart?

Has He ever led you safely through the darkness into His marvelous light?

Have His arms ever held you?

Has He ever answered a prayer?

Has He ever fought your battle for you?

Has His grace ever been sufficient as He said it would be?

Has He ever worked all things together for good in your life?

Has He ever been faithful to you in anything?


....He has with me.

Salvation would have been enough...but He went a little further and gave me blessings, gave me hope, gave me strength, gave me refuge, gave me a future. He has answered every prayer, has led me through every valley, and has been faithful to me in all things....just like He promised!

Psalm 9:10
"And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee:
for THOU, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee."
   

Isaiah 25:1
"O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee,
I will praise thy name; for THOU hast done WONDERFUL things;
thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth."
    

Hebrews 10:23
"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;
(FOR HE IS FAITHFUL that promised)" 

In the words of Fanny Crosby's priceless hymn, To God Be the Glory (my favorite hymn of all-time), "And give Him the glory, great things He hath done!"