“Jesus, Still Lead On,” ELW 624 and LBW 341
1 Jesus, still lead on, till our rest be won;
and, although the way be cheerless,
we will follow, calm and fearless;
guide us by your hand to the promised land.
2 If the way be drear, if the foe be near,
let no faithless fears o’ertake us,
let not faith and hope forsake us;
safely past the foe to our home we go.
3 When we seek relief from a long-felt grief,
when temptations come alluring
make us patient and enduring;
show us that bright shore where we weep no more.
4 Jesus, still lead on, till our rest be won;
heav’nly leader, still direct us,
still support, console, protect us,
till we safely stand in the promised land.
Devotion
Indeed, Jesus, still lead on, although the way is cheerless and dreary.
Last summer, for some special reasons I resigned from the seminary to which I had devoted seven years. During this transitional time, my life seemed to be dim and full of uncertainties. I had no idea where to go next. But I was very sure Jesus would continue to guide my steps, for he is the way and the truth and the life. So I called the four months of unemployment my “sabbatical.”
The last stanza of this hymn served for me as a dear friend who cares for us all through the hardships of life. As my sabbatical ended, I thanked God for a wonderful break in the midst of a year of upheaval. In it I felt I had a foretaste of the real rest we will enjoy in our father’s land.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we adore your precious name, Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Through your promise to be with us to the very end of the age, we are able to see your presence and have the faith to walk through the darkness to the bright shore, for you still lead on wherever we are. Amen.