The hymns sometimes speak of God guiding His people with His hand.
For example: “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” (Trinity Hymnal, #500).
The imagery of God leading us “with His hand” somehow captures the personal nature of the Lord’s direction in our lives.
That personal touch is also expressed in the 23rd Psalm. “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul: He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:1-3). David was persuaded that his life was directed by the Lord – every step of the way.
Every Christian has this same expectation of the Lord.
Sometimes our lives seem forced by outward circumstances, afflictions, and persecutions. We know not what a day may bring; we never seem to understand the apparent randomness of our existence. And then, we open our Bibles and read about the LORD. The God who rules the universe is personally directing our lives. As a shepherd is attentive to the needs of his sheep, so the LORD is attentive to our needs.
He gently leads us to all that is necessary for life.
He restores our souls. He leads us in the paths of righteousness. And – He does all of this “for His name’s sake.” This means that our lives become the proving ground for the LORD’s attributes. He is love; He is good; He is wise; He is faithful! His attributes – all of them – are perfectly displayed in the way He deals with His children. He saves us, keeps us, sanctifies us, and will glorify us – because His character is proven by all that He does in our lives.
We may not understand the reasons for the things that happen in our lives, but we know that God’s dealings with us in every circumstance are loving, good, wise and faithful.
He proves Himself in the way He leads and directs our lives. This is the reason for seeing the LORD’s leading as the constant factor in our daily lives. He does not simply guide the “big picture” of our lives, but the daily events as they happen. In every circumstance, we can be confident in knowing that it is the LORD who is gently leading our lives. His purpose is our blessing – and His glory. We are comforted and worship the God who leads our lives.
– Gary W. Custis