He leads me …

It can be so hard when praying to put what we feel and understand about God into words. To tell the Lord that He is awesome falls short of how our heart really feels towards Him. When we consider the stars that He put in place and at the same time the detail in the life around us that He has constructed – from so huge and vast to so small and intricate – There do not seem to be adequate words that express how amazing we consider God to be.

Then we think that the world’s population is around 7,800,000,000 people, and yet the Bible tells us that our Heavenly Father, knows the number of hairs that each of us has on our heads[1], and what we are going to say before we say it[2]. How incredible is that?

It does not stop there. For those of us who are born again Christians, He has a relationship with us that includes working in our lives so that we become more Christ like. In doing this we will see that He shows Himself at work in many of the things that happen in our lives, in ways that others would call coincidences or good luck.

We find that the Lord uses us to speak the right words into people’s situations – sometimes unintentionally, and we provide a good example for others to follow. We find that He uses us to help others by being in the right place at the right time.

We are often on the receiving end too. People can say things to us without realising what they have said, but we know that it is the Word of the Lord for our circumstances at that time. We can find ourselves in a tight situation and without us ever saying anything about it, someone comes to our assistance.

Even though we are one person in 7.8 billion people, God still has a personal relationship with us. How do we try and understand that?

Mark Altrogge is a Christian songwriter and he came to the same place of being in complete awe of God. As he put it, ‘God is an infinite being, and infinite in each of his attributes. He is infinitely holy. Infinitely powerful. Infinitely loving. Infinitely wise. In fact, because he is infinite, there will always be things about himself that only He knows. Throughout eternity, those he redeemed will never come to an end of seeing new vistas of his glory, majesty and beauty.’

Mark took these thoughts and started putting words on paper. He eventually came up with what became a well-known song that puts into words what many of us would struggle with on our own.

You are beautiful beyond description

Too marvelous for words

Too wonderful for comprehension

Like nothing ever seen or heard

Who can grasp your infinite wisdom?

Who can fathom the depth of your love?

You are beautiful beyond description

Majesty, enthroned above

Chorus -

And I stand, I stand in awe of you

I stand, I stand in awe of you

Holy God, to whom all praise is due

I stand in awe of you.[3]

[1] Matthew 10:30, Luke 12:7

[2] Psalm 139:4, Matthew 6:8

[3] With thanks to - https://theblazingcenter.com/2015/04/the-story-behind-the-song-i-stand-in-awe.html You can listen to it on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmZTz5H49zwWe can learn a lot from the lives of Christians in the past. One such person is Charles Finney. He was a lawyer who became a minister in the early 1800’s and was involved in some of the revivals in America at that time.

It has been said by biblical historians that Charles Finney was perhaps the greatest leader of the Second Great Awakening where revivals and emotional preaching, sparked a number of reform movements.

He produced Preacher Save Thyself which was printed by the Willard Tract Repository and later included in the publication Power From On High.

It is a list of 64 points that Preachers (and Ministers) should follow to maintain a healthy ministry.

Finney’s text at the top of the publication is –

Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. (1 Timothy NKJV)

Here are some of the points that apply to us all -

1.     Constantly maintain a close walk with God.

2.     Make the Bible your book of books. Study it much, upon your knees, waiting for divine light.

3.     Keep yourself pure--in will, in thought, in feeling, in word and action.

4.     Contemplate much the guilt and danger of sinners, that your zeal for their salvation may be intensified.

5.     Also deeply ponder and dwell much upon the boundless love and compassion of Christ for them.

6.     So love them yourself as to be willing to die for them.

7.     Give your most intense thought to the study of ways and means by which you may save them. Make this the great and intense study of your life.

8.     Refuse to be diverted from this work. Guard against every temptation that would decrease your interest in it.

9.     Believe the declaration of Christ that He is with you in this work always and everywhere, to give you all the help you need.

10.  "He that winneth souls is wise;" and "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and he shall receive." "But let him ask in faith." Remember, therefore, that you are guaranteed to have the wisdom that shall win souls to Christ.

11.  Being called of God to the work, make your calling your constant argument with God for all that you need for the accomplishment of the work.

12.  Be diligent and hard working, "in season and out of season."

13.  See that your own habits are in all respects correct; that you are temperate in all things -- free from the stain or smell of tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or anything of which you have reason to be ashamed, and which may stumble others.

14.  Be not "light-minded," but "Set the Lord always before you."

15.  Bridle your tongue, and be not given to idle and unprofitable conversation.

16.  Avoid all exaggeration and sham in all things. Be what you profess to be, and you will have no temptation to "make believe."

17.  Let simplicity, sincerity, and Christian respectability stamp your whole life.

18.  Spend much time every day and night in prayer and direct communion with God. This will make you a power for salvation. No amount of learning and study can compensate for the loss of this communion. If you fail to maintain communion with God, you are "weak as another man."

19.  See that "the fear of man that bringeth a snare" is not upon you. Let people understand that you fear God too much to be afraid of them.

20.  Be sure to "commend yourself to every man's conscience in the sight of God."

21.  Be "not a lover of filthy money."

22.  Avoid every appearance of vanity.

23.  Compel people to respect your sincerity and your spiritual wisdom.

24.  Never flatter the rich.

25.  Be especially attentive to the wants and instruction of the poor.

26.  Suffer not yourself to be bribed into a compromise with sin by donation parties.

27.  See that you personally know and daily live upon Christ.

Assuming that Charles Finney lived by these standards himself, it is no wonder that he was so influential in the revivals that took place during the Second Great Awakening.

And we would do well to follow the list too.