He Guides My Path
Each year dawns full of opportunities and possibilities. New Year’s Day arrives, and we can draw a line on the past and eagerly await the future. How we navigate the year ahead is largely up to us, but it will help if our attitude is in check and our trust is in the Lord.
I believe this year will be a combination of opened and closed doors for many of us. There was a general sense that God was positioning his people strategically over the past year and I believe this will continue into 2023. If I was to give it a label, I would say that this year is the year of the open door.
I love how God can give us hope in what is shaping up to be a difficult year ahead for the world. I love how we can bring our fears and trepidations to him on 1 January 2023 and know he will make a way for us throughout the year ahead. This does not necessarily mean an easy stroll, but a promise of his daily presence, comfort, guidance and peace.
I well remember one particular year when I had made specific plans for the months ahead. I was on a certain path when the Lord completely turned me around and led me in a different direction. The sense of disorientation and fear was palpable. The loss of control was very real. I felt like I was in a dark place. I walked through that year not really knowing if I was heading in the right direction. All I could do was trust God. The valley lasted way longer than I would have predicted, but the joy, the hope, the blessings that came out of that year have been overwhelming. I now realise I needed to walk through that valley first to get to the place of blessing and clarity.
Psalm 23:3b–4 says, ‘He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’
To paraphrase the psalm: it is the Lord who guides us through the darkest valley, but never just for the sake of it, it is for his sake, and because sometimes we need to go through the valley to get to the blessings on the other side.
Vivienne Hill, Editor
The magazine can be viewed either as an online magazine on Issuu, or the bulk of the articles, news, and shorter reflections (Grace Notes) have been added into their various sections.
I welcome your feedback and suggestions, and also your photos, letters, crafts and stories. Please email: [email protected]
Magazine Contents
Articles
Answering the Call: War Cry asks the new 2023 trainees how they came to answer God’s call to officership
Reflectors of Holiness: We celebrate the ordination and commissioning of the Reflectors of Holiness session in Fiji and New Zealand
Faith Story
A Willing Helping hand: Eric O’Brien shares the importance of helping people in their time of need.
Grace Notes
Kingdom of Clarity: Major Mat Badger reveals the pitfalls and insights of the Parable of the Sower
Law and Justice in the Spotlight: Ronji Tanielu shares about his visit to the US as recipient of the Borrin Foundation Scholarship
War Cry in History
The General and The Jungle Book
Reviews
Book: Act of Oblivion
Podcast: Unbelievable?
Music: What Are We Waiting For?
