Grace will lead me home

......surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don't expect it and often feel they don't deserve it.

Jeffrey R. Holland

My Shepherd will supply my need; . . .
In pastures fresh he makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wandering spirit back,
When I forsake his ways;
And leads me, for his mercy's sake,
In paths of truth and grace.

These words penned by Isaac Watts in the 18th century still comfort the weary soul today. Who has not wandered from wisdom's path? Who has not felt the need for mercy? Paraphrased from the beloved 23rd Psalm, the hymn reassures that the Good Shepherd is ever mindful of His sheep: "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness."

The message is not that bad things will never happen to us,
but rather that we will not have to face bad things alone.

Even in dark hours, the Good Shepherd knows His sheep and the path they trod. And the sheep know the Good Shepherd. They trust Him. They've felt His gentle touch. They've heard His loving voice. They know His loyal and unchangeable heart. They know that when danger comes, He will not desert them. He will stand with them and defend them.
Like sheep, sometimes we go astray and get off the course that leads to peace and happiness. Even then, we are not alone. The Good Shepherd is willing to search even for "the one" who is lost. Because of His watchful care, we can resolve with the Psalmist: "I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. . . . Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."

Lloyd D. Newell

Few things in this world bear the power of a mother's heartfelt prayer. John Newton's earliest memories with his devoted but frail mother recall afternoons spent praying and memorizing hymns and Bible passages. His mother died when he was seven years old, but her tearful prayers for him would leave a lifelong impression.

John Newton was on his own at a young age, alternating between boarding school and the grueling work of the high seas. As a teenager he was pressed into service with the British navy and fell into a life of sin. Finding the conditions unbearable, he deserted the navy but was later captured and flogged. A darkness settled over him as he sailed through dangers and adventures unrivaled in fiction. He was exchanged to a slave ship where he worked as a slave trader and was brutally abused by the captain. Eventually he became the captain of his own ship.

One night in the spring of 1748, as John was returning home from Africa, a violent storm arose. Steering the ship in what must have seemed like his last hours alive, perhaps John thought of his mother's prayers. He later wrote of his experience, "The Lord came from on high and delivered me out of deep waters."

Upon his safe return home, John acknowledged his spiritual roots and committed himself to a life of living and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. His mother's prayers had been answered, for her son had been saved by God's amazing grace. In the words of John Newton's famous hymn, "Amazing Grace."  "Thru many dangers, toils and snares I have already come; 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home."

Lloyd D. Newell

"Heaven is not a prize for the perfect, but the future home of all who are willing to be perfected." 

 Brad Wilcox