Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“Come, follow Me…” Matthew 4:19a
“…follow Me.” John 21:22a
It was one of those moments when there was no light penetrating the darkness of doubt, second thoughts and an internal struggle wondering if the path was really as clear as I thought it to be.
Was it my idea, or was it God’s idea to do this as next steps of my life’s journey?
Driving to meet some friend a number of years ago to discuss what I believed God had called me to, I realized on the way that I may be the only one who believed in what I felt God had called me to. It was the first thing and last thing Christ said to Peter—“Follow Me,” and I was simply trying to do the same.
And then God reached down through my doubt with a song on the car CD player by Michael W. Smith. Michael shared that the song was a “…very serious heart-cry out to God written from being in the valley longer than imagined.” And what Michael W. Smith didn’t realize at the time, is that he had also written it for me.
The music and words penetrated the crust of doubt, baggage from the past, and distractions of today, and began to break through the darkness—
“Wandering the road of desperate life,
aimlessly beneath the barren sky
Leave it to Me, I’ll lead you home…
A troubled mind and a doubter’s heart,
you wonder how you ever got this far
Leave it to Me, I’ll lead you home.”
God knows, I realized. I may be headed in the right direction or not, but no matter, because He knows where I am. Doubters, cynics and others abound, but He knows and He cares that my heart’s desire is to follow Him, whatever I best can determine that path to be. From there, He will lead me home.
“Hear Me calling, Hear Me calling, you’re lost and alone
Leave it to Me, I’ll lead you home.”
My friends, where are you in your journey? In the valley or standing on the precipice of a decision? Doubt or despair dwelling within?
If you are there, or ever find yourself there, do yourself a favor and look within. Look deep, past any doubt in your ability which creeps in. Past the regrets for all the things you wish you had done. Past the apathy of others, and past the mistakes and guilt you still carry around. Look deep, until you see the person Christ sees, the person He created and loves. The person with all the potential to do all He calls you to do with Him.
Still sense the clouds of doubt and despair?
Look deeper until you see the person Christ sees, and for whom He chose to give His life.
“So let it go and turn it over to the
One Who chose to give His life for you
Just leave it to Me, I’ll lead you home
Hear Me calling, hear Me calling
Just leave it to Me, I’ll lead you home.”
Drive on, through the darkness of doubt, the cynics and naysayers, all the stuff of the past, and the distractions of today into the light of the One Who says “follow Me.”
Drive on and trust the One who stands with you and ahead of you reminding you, as Michael W. Smith closes his song with, to…“Just leave it to Me, I’ll lead you home.”
And He will, today, tomorrow and everyday all the way to eternity.
In His Name—Scott
