Daily Devotions

He Leadeth Me: A Reflection on Retirement and Direction

Psalm 5:8 – "Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me."

As I look toward what Methodism affectionately calls “Sitting Down,” my thoughts have turned to the idea of direction.

Though I will no longer hold pastoral charge of a church, I remain, by God's grace, a Presbyter in Word and Sacrament. Ministry is not something we retire from — it is part of who we are, not merely what we do. So I find myself wondering: where next? How now do I listen for God's direction?

The tools of navigation have changed across my life. I remember a time when, if you were planning a journey, you might write to the AA or RAC and they would send you a carefully plotted route on paper. Later came downloadable maps. Now, of course, we turn to GPS — constantly recalibrating, quietly redirecting.

And yet, even with all our tools, the heart still needs a compass. The psalmist’s cry feels particularly resonant at this moment in life:

“Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.” (Psalm 5:8)

As I pause at this transitional crossroads, I realise that sometimes our "enemies" are not external threats, but internal tensions. Fears, regrets, attachments, or ambitions that cloud our view. And these must also be acknowledged.

Paul’s words to the Galatians echo this internal struggle:

“Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness... There is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit...”
(Galatians 5:16–17, The Message)

So this becomes the deeper prayer: not just “What do I do next?” but “Who am I becoming?”

Not simply, “Where do I go now?” but “How can I walk in the Spirit — free, faithful, and formed by grace?”

I do not ask for a printed route anymore — I ask for the courage to trust the One who walks with me.

And in that spirit, I am drawn to the words of Joseph H. Gilmore, whose hymn expresses beautifully the assurance that even in seasons of change, God is still leading:

He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Sometimes ’mid scenes of deepest gloom,
sometimes where Eden’s flowers bloom,
by waters calm, o’er troubled sea,
still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me;
by His own hand He leadeth me:
His faithful follower I would be,
for by His hand He leadeth me.