Lead Me, Guide Me (ELW 768)
1 I am weak, and I need Thy strength and power
To help me over my weakest hour;
Let me through the darkness Thy face to see,
Lead me, O Lord, lead me.
Refrain:
Lead me, guide me along the way;
For if You lead me, I cannot stray;
Lord, let me walk each day with Thee.
Lead me, O Lord, lead me.
2 Help me tread in the paths of righteousness;
Be my aid when Satan and sin oppress.
I am putting all my trust in Thee,
Lead me, O Lord, lead me. [Refrain]
3 I am lost, if you take your hand from me;
I am blind, without Thy Light to see;
Lord, just always let me Thy servant be,
Lead me, O Lord, lead me. [Refrain]
Devotion
“Lead me, guide me”—the hymn echoes what we have been talking about all week. The next line seems like wishful thinking: “if you lead me, I cannot stray.” Or is it humility or faith? Again, comes the plea we have all prayed: “let me walk with you, O Lord lead me.” But then we have all been humbled when, in spite of good intentions, we have failed. It’s hard and our ego quickly takes over.
I had to leave a congregation I was serving due to a health issue. I believed the Lord was leading me and now the plan was all messed up. I didn’t want to think about what God might be teaching me during this time. I was angry for a long time—at the illness, at the congregation, at God. Finally, I saw that God was leading me to new ministries—and to better self-care. “Lead me, O Lord, lead me.”
Prayer
Gracious God, you forgive us when we stray, saying, “I love you even more”. Lead us, even when we don’t know the next steps. Show us the way. Amen.