My soul, never follow your own paths. If you do, you will often be in danger of walking by sight rather than by faith, thus choosing the evil and refusing the good. Let this be your prayer: “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths” (Ps. 25:4). And help me to commit my way to You and trust You to bring it to pass (Ps. 37:5).

Oh for Caleb’s spirit which enabled him to say, “I wholly followed the Lord my God” (Josh. 14:8)! May we all desire to follow Him, even if self must be sacrificed, hardships borne, and trials encountered. Let us be like Enoch, who “walked with God” (Gen. 5:24), and like Noah, who “found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8). Let us ask in simple faith, “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10), having no will of our own other than that God’s will might be my will. In doing this there is safety; there is happiness.

Let us allow the Lord to lead us by a right way—His is always a right way even though it may be a way of hardship, crosses, losses, and privation. When they come, let us dwell with holy gratitude upon past mercies, for they are pledges of future faithfulness and love, and evidence that He is hearing us amid life’s many perplexities. We are assured, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!” (Ps. 144:5).

You will find happiness if you successfully resolve to trust in His strength, which is infinitely greater than your own. Be able to say, “this is God, [my] God forever and ever; He will be [my] guide even to death” (Ps. 48:14).