Tag Archives: trust

He Leadeth Me

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Photo_061009_006He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
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.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, over troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.
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.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.
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.

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 God through Jordan leadeth me.
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.

Words by Joseph H. Gilmore, 1862
Music by William B. Bradbury, 1864

 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:1 – 3

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6

For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13

 

What are you planning to do with your life? Every teenager has heard this question at some point in time. After all, we need to have our entire life planned out by the time we turn 18, right? Of course as a teenager, it can be a seemingly innocuous question, but when you get to be 25, 35, 45 it is not so innocuous a question. In fact it can seem a little judgmental condescending.

But it is a valid question for any of us. A question we often ask ourselves, even when everyone around us thinks we have it all together. So we ask ourselves, “What am I doing with my life?” “Where am I going?” “Is there a purpose to my life?”

Ultimately that is what we are looking for, a purpose, a meaning, a direction. A direction that seems to elude us when we search simply in our own strength. But we can find direction when we trust in God’s leading in our lives. This is the message behind Joseph H. Gilmore’s “He Leadeth Me.”

The hymn begins by straight out stating the theme, “He leadeth me.” A phrase that comes from what is one of the most well-known passages of scripture in the world, Psalm 23. Verses 1 – 3 reads, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”

The hymn then continues by reflecting on this theme, “O blessèd thought! O words with heav’nly comfort fraught! Whate’er I do, where’er I be, Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.” Stop for a minute and think about this. For those who have within them a desire for direction; for those who all to often feel that they are all alone with no purpose in their lives, what thought could compare with the truth that God is there to guide us along. What comfort can compare with knowing that while we may seem lost, God knows the direction He has for us.

The hymn continues by saying, “Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom, Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom, By waters still, over troubled sea, Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.” It does not matter the time or situation we are in, God is there. In times of trouble and times of joy, God is there with us to guide us. It draws our minds to Deuteronomy 31:6 where we read, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” God is always there for us to turn to and follow.

Gilmore then writes, “Lord, I would place my hand in Thine . . . Content, whatever lot I see.” A seeming reflection of Isaiah 41:13 where we read, “For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Whatever circumstance may come our we, we need not fear, we need not worry for God has promised that he is there to help. In him we can find strength to move forward, even when we do not know what is to come. As a child taking his parents hand, we can take God’s hand and trust in his guidance and find contentment in knowing He is in control.

Yes, we all seek direction in our lives. A direction that gives us purpose. A direction that will encourage us to move on. Even when we do not have those in our lives to ask the question, we ask ourselves, “where are we going?” We can find the answer in God. We can find the answer in knowing that God has a purpose and direction for us and if we will trust in Him, He will lead us there. So let us lean on him, trusting in His leadership so that we may say, “His faithful follower I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me.”

 

 

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I Surrender All

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All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

Words by Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896
Music by Winfield S. Weeden, 1896

 

Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Matthew 19:16 – 30

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Luke 9:23

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

 

One of the fascinating traditions of New Year’s is that of resolutions. Those ideas we have, promises we make to be someone different, to do new and exciting things. The fact is that most of us who have made resolutions typically give up within a few weeks. Not surprising. They typically include ending established habits. But it is not easy to give up things that you have held dearly, even if it is to become a better person. But many times, that is what it takes. So we continue to try. It is this need to give up things held dear and change that permeates the theme of Judson W. Van DeVenter’s hymn, “I Surrender All.”

The hymn begins, “All to Jesus, I surrender; All to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.” For those of us who have chosen to follow God, there is no greater commitment we can make, yet it is not always as easy as it may seem.

“All to Him I freely give.” These are words that we can so easily say, but not so easily live out. This is why Jesus said of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:23 – 24, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Like I said, the words are easy to say, but the reality is that living them out is not. Think about it, Jesus told this man that if he wanted to attain eternal life he had to “go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21) Go sell your possessions. Could you do this? Could any of us? The answer is, that I am sure that some people could do it, but stop and look at the reality of what Jesus was telling him. It was not to simply sell his belongings, it was to give up what was dearest to his heart. This is what the hymn is speaking of when it says, “All to Jesus, I surrender; All to Him I freely give.”

The hymn continues, “I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.” You see, to make such a decision, to make such a commitment is not a one time thing. It is something that we must do again and again, each and every day. I wrote about this several years ago in a blog entitled “New Year’s Resolutions.” In it I wrote;

“You see, a resolution is not a one time thing. It is an ongoing commitment. In a world were we want, and to often get, things instantly, we need to slow down and accept that things take time. That changes will not just happen, but rather that we will need to work for them.”

The commitment that we put into following is a daily thing. This is why Jesus says in Luke 9:23, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Yes, it is daily, but by God’s grace we do not face it alone. The hymn continues, “Make me, Savior, wholly Thine.” If we wish to change who we are and if we wish to surrender to Christ, then we can find the strength to do so in Him. In the same blog I referenced earlier, I also wrote;

“But remember this, we do not need to do this alone. We find accountability and support in friends and family. And for those of us who know Jesus as our personal Savior, we find our strength in him alone.”

The strength to make the change, the strength to surrender, is found in Christ alone. For, we “can do all this through him who gives (us) strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

Yes, we have been called by Christ to surrender all. We have been called to give up those things we hold most dear, that stand between us and following Christ. And Christ is there to strengthen us to surrender, if we will only turn to Him and trust Him. When we take these steps and begin to know what it truly means to surrender, then we can genuinely sing from our hearts,“All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.”

 

 

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‘Tis So Sweet, To Trust In Jesus

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’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

Words by Louisa M. R. Stead, 1882
Music by William J. Kirkpatrick

 

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
John 14:1

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:11 – 14

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20

 

Why? This is a favorite question of little children. They want to learn. They want to understand things. But, there is something else that goes right along with their question, why. Little children seem willing to accept what they are told without further question. It does not cross their mind that the person giving them the answer may not be telling the truth. They simply trust.

Somewhere along the line, we loose this ability. Our default is no longer to trust, but to question. We view trust as something that is earned, not simply given. This is exemplified in the Russian proverb, “Trust, but verify.” It is commonly tied to President Ronald Reagan in association with his dealings with the Soviet Union. Simply put, it means that we want to trust what somebody tells us, but we need to have proof before we do.

The question is then, do we really trust? When we truly trust, there is a peace that comes from knowing we do not have to worry if we are being told the truth. This is the theme of Louisa Stead’s hymn, “ ‘Tis So Sweet, To Trust In Jesus.”

Stead writes, “just to take Him at His word..” Think about, what peace there really is when you do not have the need to question. I am not talking about questions of understanding, but of truth. The simple reality that you do not need to doubt that what you are being told is the truth.

For this reason Stead goes on the right, “And in simple faith.” That’s what trust boils down to, simple faith. But do we have faith because we trust, or do we trust because we have faith? If we do not have faith in the person, then we can not trust them, but how can we trust someone, if we do not have faith in them. These things seem to go hand in hand. Faith and trust are two sides of the same coin. This is why John 14:1 read, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” in some translations and “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” in others.

So trust and faith (or belief) walk hand in hand. It is this trust that allows us to place faith in Jesus sacrifice for us. Because of this trust, I can turn my life over to Christ. I can rest in Him “Just from sin and self to cease.” So that I can get from Jesus, “Life and rest, and joy and peace.”

The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 1:13 – 14, “ When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.”

We can trust in Jesus. So we are able to sing the final verse of this hymn.

“I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.”

 

 

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Trust and Obey

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When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Words by John H. Sammis, 1887
Music by Daniel B. Towner

 

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:4

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight
Proverbs 3:5 – 6

but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.
Jeremiah 7:23

Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared
Jeremiah 38:20

 

One of the stranger scenes I remember from my college days was watching people walk around campus with a paper bag over their heads.  Now, it wasn’t as strange as it first appeared when you realize that the people we part of a class.  You see, students were paired up.  One of them would then place a paper bag over their head and the second person was then responsible for guiding them safely around campus. The purpose of this Psychology class was to come to understand what lies behind trust.

Now, from my experience, trust is not something that comes easy to us.  It’s because we each like to be in control.  We do not like the feeling of finding ourselves dependent on someone else.  But as hard as it is, this is what we are called to do in scripture and is the theme behind the hymn, “Trust and Obey.”

How then do we get past that overwhelming desire to be in control?  How do we obey the Lords commands?  It is a simple, but not always an easy thing.  In Jeremiah 7:23 God says, “Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.” Clearly we are commanded to obey God in what we do, but to blindly obey is not something that comes naturally.  Thankfully, God has not called us to blind obedience.

You see, while obedience is one side of the coin, the other side is trust.  Proverbs 3:5 – 6 tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  You see, the key to obedience, is trusting the one you obey.  This is why Sammis writes, “But we never can prove the delights of His love, Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey.”

Until we are willing to risk that trust and show our obedience, we can never  fully experience the peace that comes from doing so.  Thankfully, the scripture are clear that God can be trusted.  Isaiah 26:4 tells us, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”  God can be trusted because he is the eternal Rock.  He does not change or move.  1 Corinthians 1:9 tells us that “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  God can be trusted because He is faithful.

When we have this trust, then obedience is not as hard.  We know that we can confidently obey Him because we can trust that God is faithful and true (Revelation 19:11)  and that there is with Him no shifting shadow (James 1:17).  When we understand this fully, we can join in the chorus of “Trust and Obey” declaring, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

 

 

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Great Is Thy Faithfulness

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Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

Words by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923
Music by William M. Runyun, 1923

 


Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers And is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord.”
Lamentations 3:19 – 26

It is said that the one constant in the world is change. We grow, we move, people come into our lives, people leave, jobs come and jobs go, nothing remains the same. It has been this way for time in memorial, but lately it seems as though things have gotten even worse. With the fast pace speed of society and the disconnect that have grown between people with the advancement of technology, we often feel alone. We are unsure of where to turn and we desperately search for something to hold onto.

Well there is something, … someone, that we can hold onto. In Deuteronomy 31:6 Moses tells the people of Israel, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” The writer of Hebrews repeats this point in chapter13 verse 5 where we read, “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

You see in a constantly changing world God is there. He will always show himself faithful. And should we begin to doubt the faithfulness of God, we need only look around us. The evidence is everywhere. As Chisholm writes, “Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.”

Yes the seasons changes, but there is an order to everything. Night follows day and day follows night. Spring follows winter, summer follows spring, fall follows summer, winter follows fall, and it starts over again. Yes, in an ever changing world, God remains faithful.

So, if God is faithful, then we can trust in his word. We know that his promise in 1 John 1:9, “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.” can be trusted. We can believe Jesus in John 14:1 – 3 when he states “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

And so the words of this hymn ring within my heart:

“Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”

 

 

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Trusting in God’s Will – An Act of Faith

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I recently received a note of encouragement and sound advice from a friend. My friend served in ministry for 1 ½ years before the position came to an end. He began searching for a new position but eventually realized that nothing was forthcoming and so needed to find a job to support his family. He has since done so. I am glad to hear that he has a means to support his family and pray that God will continue to bless him in all that he does. In his message he said, “May I suggest you get a non-ministry job, anywhere, pronto just to feed your family while you are looking.” This is, of course, sound practical advice, and I am not one to ignore the practical. But I have been contemplating God’s call and my response. Most notably, how do faith based and practical decisions interact and/or conflict with one another.

I realize I have responsibilities to care for and provide for my family. This is, of course my first and greatest responsibility. What is further, I do not believe that God would ask me to follow him to the detriment of my family. Having said this, I also realize that my vision is limited by my experience and by what I see around me. What I mean by this is that what to me, may initially seem to be detrimental to my family, in the long run may, in fact, be the greater good and glorifying to God. For example, in the short run, God asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac was clearly detrimental to his family. But Abraham saw past this, for he knew God’s promise to him and in the long run, God’s request and Abraham’s faith proved to be glorifying to God.

But let’s be honest, the first thing through my mind is “I am not Abraham and Abraham was a special case.” Is it not self-serving for me to try to justify an impractical decision by claiming that God will use it to his glory? Here in lies the dilemma. When does making practical decisions equal a lack of faith and when does a leap of faith become a foolish venture?

I cannot speak for every person and every situation, but I can share my thoughts. God gave me a brain and expects me to use it. At the same time, God sometimes ask people to do things that seem foolish.

So how do we know which one to follow? How do we discern God’s will? Discerning God’s will has been a problem for all people from the very beginning. (Okay, not from the beginning, it was pretty clear for Adam and Eve, but even when they clearly knew it, they had trouble following it.)

For me, it has not been easy, as those whose advice I have sought will testify too. But that is one of the keys I have found in discerning God’s will. It is to seek the insight of those around you, those who can look at things objectively and those will be completely honest with you. It is from these people I have felt confirmation and support of my calling and the direction in my life.

Another important aspect of discerning God’s will is prayer. Prayer has been my opportunity to seek God’s guidance, to ask for His blessing on my life. It is, however, important to remember that prayer is not a onetime thing, but it is on going. I have prayed daily over this with the only result being a growing commitment to the call.

Another important part has been to take time away from distraction and other activities. This is a time when I can hear God’s voice, when I can cry out to Him and I can sit in silence before Him. I can describe the times of joy and the tear filled moments that have helped me to grow.

The answers are seldom 100% clear. Sometimes the act of faith may well be the practical route, but other times the act of faith may be what seems impractical to the world. In either case, the dependence must be placed on God and not in our own abilities.

I cannot say, what the answers are for others. Each of us must seek God’s will for our own lives. each of us must learn to listen as much with our heart as we do with our mind. In my case, I can say with confidence that I have placed my trust in God and I am seeking his guidance. I do not question any decision I have made to date in this matter and will continue to seek his guidance in seeking His direction.

I thank my friend for His advice and will take it under consideration, but either way, I will seek God’s guidance.

“Then the LORD said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you.”
Exodus 34:10