Not Mine, But His

As I was practicing songs for our worship tomorrow, I saw that we would be singing an especially appropriate one for me right now.  I’ve been wrestling with what God has for me right now in this life, at this moment – since what I thought He had for me is no more, for now.  I still don’t know – and so I wait.  But my prayer has been that the Lord would show me His way through this pilgrimage that is life, and not my way.  And so, the song and my heart sing:

Teach me Thy way, O Lord, teach me Thy way!

Thy guiding grace afford - teach me Thy way!

Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight;

Lead me with heav’nly light, teach me Thy way!

Teach me Thy way, O Lord, teach me Thy way!

When earthly joys depart, teach me Thy way!

In hours of loneliness, in times of dire distress,

In failure or success, teach me Thy way!

When doubts and fears arise, teach me Thy way!

When storms o’erspread the skies, teach me Thy way!

Shine thro’ the cloud and rain, thro’ sorrow, toil and pain;

Make Thou my pathway plain, teach me Thy way!

Long as my life shall last, teach me Thy way!

Where’er my lot be cast, teach me Thy way!

Until the race is run, until the journey’s done,

Until the crown is won, teach me Thy way!

My true heart’s desire in this storm of life is that I would see God’s ways as being best – especially in my day to day life.  So, how does that happen?  Well, I’ve found that no other peace surpasses the peace that I find when I’m in prayer, asking for God’s help in my life – falling to my knees, lifting up my head, and putting my life into the hands of my Maker.  There, I find real peace.  There, I find real rest.  There, I find real purpose and fulfillment.  No matter what this life brings – I can have peace and rest, knowing that God’s ways are going to be carried out.  And those ways are much better than anything I could plan, as Isaiah so clearly states:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:8-9

So, join me in praying that we would walk more by faith, and less by sight.  Because frankly, what good can this world offer that our eyes see?  Only by seeing through faith, do we see what is actually worth seeing…and then, and only then, will we know God’s way, and not our own.

Melissa