GuideStone® was originally established in 1918 to provide financial support and assistance for retired pastors and widows. Today, we continue to carry out that mission through the ministry of Mission:Dignity®. Here’s an encouraging devotional from one of our recipients:
Don’t Try to Figure God OutProverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)
Roy E. Southern authored this issue’s devotional. He served the Lord alongside his wife, Janice, for 39 years.
I learned early in my ministry that you can’t figure out how God is going to take care of you and your family. We learned in our experiences with God that our part was to trust, obey and leave the providing to the one (God) who called us. It has been such a joy and a blessing to see God at work in meeting our every need.
In our call to the ministry, God knew that we would need an affirming word. He gave that to us through a person in our church. She told me the moment I stepped out during the invitation that God spoke to her and told her that I was surrendering to the ministry. I had not discussed this with anyone, not even my wife; it was just between God and me that Sunday morning. It wasn’t like I had been struggling with it. It was like God called, and I answered His call. Thus, we began our journey.
First was our move from our home in Monroe, Louisiana. We left our family and friends to live in Mesquite, Texas, and attend Bible college. We had to find new jobs, a new church family and new schools for our children. God provided in a way that you knew that it was God. We lived in Mesquite, Texas, for eight years, attending school and serving in a local church.
Second, we felt God leading us away from Mesquite to our first pastorate. He led us to a coal mining town in Utah. We left our oldest daughter and her family in Dallas, Texas, but our other daughters went with us. Our youngest was a senior in high school the year we moved. Again, God provided for our every need.
Thirdly, during our 39 years of ministry, we served mostly in struggling churches outside of the Bible belt. We never once asked the church what they were going to pay us or how they would provide for us. We felt that since God called us to this place, he would be the one to provide for us.
Finally, we came to retirement. At age 62, I was going to retire and do supply preaching, but God had other plans. After three months of retirement, God called us to a church out in the country, where we served for another ten years and six months. I finally had to retire for medical reasons, but God continues to miraculously meet our every need. Don’t try to figure God out — just trust and obey. The second part of Proverbs 3:5 (NASB) says, “And do not lean on your own understanding.” If you are where God put you, it may not make sense, but he will provide for your every need. Are you leaning on your own understanding today? Trust him even when you are led into unfamiliar places.
Want more devotionals? Our 40-day devotional book written by our Mission:Dignity recipients is available to order here.
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Commentary
• Feb 18, 2026 