Fanny Crosby is a very well-known hymn writer.  One of her songs, “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” recently aired on the radio as I was driving home. Hearing it again reminded me of what rich and meaningful words are contained in this song.  Fanny was someone who was blind from a very young age.  She was a woman who trusted God and His wisdom in her life with a joyful attitude.  Verse two of this hymn says this,

“All the way my Savior leads me—Cheers each winding path I tread

Gives me grace for every trial, feeds me with the living bread.

Though my weary steps may falter and my soul athirst may be

Gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! A spring of joy I see;

Gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! A spring of joy I see.”¹

Trials come to all of us, and in many different forms.  Physical struggles and illnesses, a diagnosis that we did not want to hear, loss of a loved one, or loss of strength or function as our bodies succumb to the aging process are just some of the things we face.  We can also face emotional, mental and spiritual struggles, which in some ways are harder, because they are not as obvious to those around us.  We can try and put on a cheerful face, but inside our hearts are hurting.

But—it is a comfort to know that whatever we face, we can be assured that Jesus is leading us, He is with us, giving us His grace for the trials that we face.  He is the Rock that we can look to and lean on, and will give us water for our thirsty souls.  Knowing that He is there before us can help us to have joy in times of trial and suffering.

I’m just finishing a study of I Peter, and in our last lesson, the teacher of the study brought out these thoughts about suffering regarding I Peter 5:10-11,

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

She gave us five reasons to hope when undergoing trials:

1. We have the God of all grace.
2. We’re going to glory!
3. Grief is brief.
4. Growth will happen—God is working in our lives through trials to perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us.  No suffering is wasted.
5. It is God that gets us through—and God gets the glory!²

As Christian women, and women who are serving the Lord in ministry, we desire God’s leading in our lives.  Sometimes the way God leads is through pain and suffering.  But we can be assured that it is our Savior that is leading us, and He will be leading us until we are home with Him! Don’t lose hope!  I’ll leave you with the last part of verse three of the song,

      “When my spirit, clothed immortal, wings its flight to realms of day,

       This my song thru endless ages: Jesus led me all the way;

       This my song thru endless ages: Jesus led me all the way.”

¹-“All the Way My Savior Leads Me” by Fanny J. Crosby, Robert Lowry

²-WiththeMaster.org , Susan Heck, With the Master in the Fiery Furnace, Lesson 24

-by Pam Konnerup