He leadeth me. Will I be a faithful follower?
He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
As believers, we do not navigate this world alone. We do not direct our own steps. It is truly a blessed thought, one wrought with much comfort, that our Heavenly Father, who upholds the entire universe by the word of His power, is also leading us each step of our lives. No matter where we may be, it is His sovereign hand leading us. David, in psalm 31:3, recognizes this fact. He says, “For Your name’s sake, You will lead me and guide me.” David was in severe trouble, yet he confidently trusted the Lord to lead and guide him. These words convey the idea of leading in the right direction, on the proper path, and to move at a speed in a manner befitting the traveler and their situation. It means the Lord will not lead us astray. He is leading us in a way that He knows will best suit us as His children and the sheep of His hand. He takes into account our weaknesses, our frailties, our sins, and our strengths, and He leads us exactly where He knows we will be shaped into the image of His Son.
Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom
Sometimes where Eden’s flowers bloom,
By waters calm, o’er troubled sea,
Still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
I often think of Joseph (Gen. 37-50). The Lord led him at times through “deepest gloom” and also “where Eden’s flowers bloom.” He spent time in the pit and in the palace. And he was directed to both of those places by the hand of God. In our flesh, we long to spend all our days in ease. We wish for the quieter days, less busy days, more joyful, less tiring, less grievous and so on. God does heap those sweet days and moments upon His children, but also in His wisdom, we spend many days passing through deep shadows. Christ Himself on the darkest day in history confidently trusted the Lord as He cried from the cross, “Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit,” words which echoed David’s words in Psalm 31 on one of his own dark days. To commit one’s spirit to the hands of another is to entrust one’s spirit with confidence to the care of another. 1 Peter 2:23 says, “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.” Christ kept entrusting Himself to His Father, even to the moment of His dying breath. We, too, while walking the smooth or broken roads can entrust ourselves to the Father because, “Still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.”
Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ‘tis my God that leadeth me.
And here is the key to traversing the differing paths of life well. His hand in mine. No murmuring, no repine. “Content in whatever circumstances I am” (Phil. 4:11 NASB). Again, David in Psalm 31 is confident that the Lord will continue to care for him and he recognizes that the Lord has set his feet in a large place (Psalm 31:8). We don’t often use the words “set my feet in a large place” but it is a powerful metaphor for deliverance, freedom, and divine intervention, which “serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and His power to save. It encourages Christians to trust in God’s timing and His plans, even when faced with trials and tribulations.” Spurgeon says, “Many saints have had their greatest enlargements of soul when their affairs have been in the greatest straits.” God leads us, and He does it well. When we’re in a parking lot or crossing the street, I still make my five year old hold my hand. She places her hand in mine, and when she does it willingly and follows my lead, we cross quickly and safely. We too can rest contentedly, placing our hand in His, following His lead in this life.
And when my task on earth is done,
When, by Thy grace, the victory’s won
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since good through Jordan leadeth me.
For the believer, every diverse path we travel will lead finally to Paradise. These paths are preparation for eternity. The days of joy and rest point to our eternal rest and joy in the presence of our Master. Our difficult days are fleeting moments in comparison to the glory we will have there. He is with us every step of the way. He is taking the lead, bearing our burdens, providing us with strength along the way and grace for each moment. Like David we can say, “But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand” (Psalm 31:14-15a).
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.
Will we be His faithful followers?
He Leadeth Me by Joseph. H. Gilmore
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