GOD:
HIS SOVEREIGNTY; GOD: HIS CARE; TRIALS: GOD’S PRESENCE IN

I wrote a little editorial squib some time ago under the title, “We Travel an Appointed Way.” I pointed out that we are not orphans in the world and that we do not live and breathe by accident and that we are God’s children by faith. I said that it is true that our heavenly Father goes before us and that the Shepherd goes before and leads the way.

Some dear man who was among the readers wrote to me and said: “I was brought up a Methodist. In your comments, do you mean this to be foreordination? That is what the Presbyterians believe. Just what do you mean?”

I wrote him a letter, saying “Dear Brother: When I said we travel an appointed way I was not thinking about foreordination, predestination, eternal security, or the eternal decrees.

“I was just thinking,” I told him, “about how nice it is for the steps of a good man to be ordered by the Lord; and that if a consecrated Christian will put himself in the hands of God, even the accidents will be turned into blessings. Not only that, but our God will make the devil himself work for the glorification of His saints.”

It has always been the experience of the children of God that when we walk daily in the will of God, even that which looks like tragedy and loss in the end will turn out to be blessing and gain.

I did not mean to go down that deep—I was just saying that our heavenly Father leads our way and that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, I am sure the Methodist brother can go to sleep tonight knowing that he does not have to turn Presbyterian to be certain that God is looking after him.

Psalm 37:23–24; Proverbs 20:24; Romans 8:28–30; 1 Peter 1:2

Christ the Eternal Son, 36, 37.