Seed Thoughts
//Lynette Hagin
"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be Like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." -Isaiah 58:11 (NIV 1984)
The scripture that has guided me all my life is Proverbs 3:5–6 (NLT): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."
As a teenager I began to trust God to direct my future. I knew that my life would involve ministry; I just did not know to what extent. I also knew it was essential that I marry someone who was called into the ministry as I was. In December of 1965, my husband and I approached the altar of the church where we were being united in marriage to a song which contained the lyrics, "We'll walk the road of life together day by day, and I will love you every step of the way."1
We had no idea where those steps would lead us. We only knew that we were both committed to following the path God had prepared for us. That path has certainly been an adventure. There have been times of joy and excitement, and times of discouragement and disappointment. However, in the midst of it all, the anchor that has held us steady in stormy times is the faithfulness of God.
Thomas Obadiah Chisholm wrote a poem that was put to music by one of his good friends, William Runyan. Chisholm's health was sometimes fragile, and he found comfort and strength in one of his favorite scriptures, Lamentations 3:22–23: "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
Based on that scripture he wrote the following: "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 has been thou forever wilt be. 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!"2
In June we were privileged to minister at Rhema graduations in Geneva, Switzerland; Athens, Greece; Sumy, Ukraine; and Aylesbury, England. As I watched the graduates march in at each location, I was moved to tears and overwhelmed at the faithfulness of God.
Never in a million years would I have thought that my life would be involved in an international ministry affecting lives all over the world. My husband and I were humbled by the gratitude that all the graduates expressed of how the message of faith had changed their lives.
We are truly seeing fulfilled in these last days the prophecy that my father-in-law gave in May of 1979. In part that prophecy says, "What is that sound? What is that sound that I hear? It's the sound of many feet. It's the sound of beautiful feet. It's the sound of feet going forth with the Good News.
"Who are these that make this sound of tramp, tramp, tramp as they come, as they go tramping along? Who are these? Yea, they are those chosen of the Lord, called of God, equipped by His Spirit. . . . Where are they going? They're going unto the uttermost parts of the earth. . . . They're going around the world to tell the story, to proclaim the message, to do the work that God called them to do."
God is calling all of us to follow Him and take our place in these last days. I encourage you to allow the Lord to direct your path. Let Him plan your life for you. As The Message Bible says in Proverbs 3:5–6, "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go."
As you draw upon God's faithfulness, He will be your provider, healer, and strengthener. He will never fail you, because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you will be faithful to God, God will show Himself faithful to you. He will exceed your expectations and will do exceedingly abundantly, above all you can ask or think.
1 "Every Step of the Way" / Lyrics by Robert Allen. Music by Al Stillman / Used by permission.
2 "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" Words: Thomas O. Chisholm, Music: William M. Runyan, © 1923, Ren. 1951 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.
Used by permission. Reprinted under license #76664.