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Listen while you read: "All The Way My Saviour Leads Me"1 (Lyrics) |
Luke 9:62 – Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." (NIV)
The year was 1965. I was trying to decide what I should do with my life, and I wanted to be sure that I was making the right decision. I finally decided to fulfill the call to fulltime ministry that came to me when I gave my heart to Jesus on September 15, 1957.
I confirmed my decision as I knelt by my bed in prayer. I would be applying to be trained as a pastor at The Salvation Army College for Officer Training in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. Each new group of candidates who enter the College for Officers receive a name given to them by the General of The Salvation Army. My group was called "The Witnesses to the Faith".
I told my father first and then the rest of my family. My father didn't say a word for several minutes. Then he cleared his throat and said, "Don't do it unless you are fully committed." That was it! I had his blessing, and I knew exactly what he meant.
I had done my share of plowing the fields at home, making them ready for planting potatoes each spring. I well remember the times when I was so physically tired that I wanted to leave the plow in the middle of the field, unhitch the horse, and go home. But I needed to finish the job that I had started.
My father was right! There have been times in my ministry over the past 57 years since my ordination on June 16, 1967, when I have been mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. But I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
Being involved in full-time ministry is a huge commitment. To take up one's cross and follow Jesus is not a holiday nor a part-time job — it is a calling! It takes nothing less than the all-encompassing grace of God through the Holy Spirit to stay the course.
1 Kings 8:61 – But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time. (NIV)
How about you? Has God called you to serve Him in some specific way? Don't do it unless you are fully committed to the Lord: heart, mind, soul, and spirit.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for saving us, calling us, and equipping us. We pray that we will continue to get to know You personally, that our hearts and lives will be fully committed to You, that we will live by Your standards, and that we may remain true to You by Your grace, which is sufficient. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!
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daughter: "Update May 12, 2025: Please keep praying for my daughter. She needs the Lord in her life*** April..." 
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Amen Stephen.
So true, Stephen.
May God continue to bless you.
How encouraging and inspiring, Stephen. A lifetime of faithfully following and serving Jesus is so worth it all.
And thank you for sharing your story. I like that phrase “ fully committed.”
(Manitoba)
Stephen
Thank you for your Sunday morning offering.
It is indeed a daunting commitment to promise and then never doubt, never waiver.
I do my best, yet sometimes question, waiver then commit again.
Thanks for your devotional this morning Stephen & for your sincere devotion of serving the Lord. I’m sure being a Minister is not an easy job & is certainly a full-time occupation as one never knows when there would be a call from someone in need of consultation or need of comfort in a crisis situation or many other reasons. Blessings for taking on a position of full-time dedication & service to our loving Lord.
Awesome. Thank you for sharing this story of calling and commitment – your story alone is a great witness and encouragement to others. God bless.
As a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother – who ‘came to the Lord’ during the marriage crisis of a friend, I’ve seen the LORD at work in all my family members and have seen all these beautiful grandchildren become Christians. “ How great is our God!!”
Good morning, Stephen!
Your devotional was a good one today. Serving God is a full-time, lifetime commitment and as you stated, “Don’t do it unless you are fully committed to the Lord”. Once one is on the journey one cannot hop on and hop off and do whatever they want to do without consequences. It is definitely a “heart, mind, soul, and spirit” commitment. Thank you for your excellent message today.
Good morning, Stephen,
I think you dad was a man of few words, but you fully understood him. I was surprised in 1965 you would be plowing the field with a horse. I am glad to hear that you would do it all over again – that definitely is a sign you made the right choice for you and God. Thanks for sharing a piece of your journey which helps us reflect on our commitment to our Lord. Blessings.
Newfoundland to Abbotsford, you covered a lot of ground. There is, or was, a farm in Abbotsford around which grew the town. Now still inhabited by one last descendant there it is, or what’s left of it, a testament to a full commitment to not sell the farm.
One side of the family took the call to ministry and never looked back. The other rode the rising tide of real estate growth and never looked back. I am sure both were right. Thanks for this morning’s devotion. (ON)
Thank you for sharing this thought provoking devotional with us. Blessings.
Thank you, Stephen. I’m involved in a ministry right now that certainly typifies what you’re talking about.