Tag Archive | steps

Steps of Trust

Apr20

2 Thessalonians 3:3 – But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen and guard you from the evil one. (HCSB)

2 Corinthians. 5:7 – For we walk by faith, not by sight, (HCSB)

As followers of Christ, we have faith in His power but so often we lack trust in His actions. I grew up in church singing words that told me trusting was the way to be happy in Jesus, that it’s sweet to trust in Jesus, and that His faithfulness is great. I have the history to prove the value of trusting Him and also some history that includes the consequences of when I chose to trust myself instead! Woodrow Kroll said, “If God was faithful to you yesterday, you have reason to trust Him for tomorrow.” God has been so very faithful to me through my yesterdays. He has brought people into my life to give me encouragement, to give me laughter, to give me direction, sometimes even to give me food and clothing. He has been faithful to comfort me in times of trouble and faithful to guide me in times of confusion. He has faithfully waited for me to return when I wandered and faithfully nudged me when I didn’t want to leave my chosen path. Martin Luther King Jr said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” There have been times when I chose to take that step and times when I chose instead to have the adult version of a two-year-old’s tantrum because it wasn’t the staircase that I had decided I needed to climb. I know that sometimes God just shakes His head at my stubbornness, but He is always faithful. Joni Erickson Tada said, “Faith isn’t the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. Its simply taking God at His word and taking the next step.” God’s word says that I am to walk by faith not sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) and that when I walk by faith, walls will fall (Hebrews 11:30) and that great things happen when people walk in faith (Hebrews 11). Much of our understanding and behavior is based on prior knowledge so how can we doubt the goodness of God when we have abundant prior knowledge of Him strengthening and guarding us? I may not understand what is happening or why something isn’t happening, but I have learned to trust God. How can I not agree with Corrie ten Boom when she said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Ernest Hemingway said, “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” If that statement is true of men, how wonderfully true it will prove to be with the Lord. I cannot see into the future, but God knows what the future holds. I cannot see the entire staircase, but God knows where the staircase leads. I don’t need to see the journey’s outcome, I just need to take the next step and to put my trust in a faithful God.

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Steps in the Right Direction

Sep16

Isaiah 30:21 – “and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.” (HCSB)

Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” (HCSB)

I am in the dark in more ways than one this morning. The house is dark; there is no light to brighten my path into the other room. I am also in the dark about a decision I need to make, and just as with the house, there is no light to brighten my path into the future. The only sound in the house is the sound of the coffee brewing. As I wait for that marvelous beep, I also wait for an answer from You, Lord. I am fully confident that You set my feet on this path, but now I have come to a fork in the path, and quite frankly, it would be so awesome to hear Your audible voice telling me “take this path.” I crave signs and a voice that will provide the absolute-without-a-doubt knowledge that I am headed in the right direction, but I am afraid of only hearing “recalculating”. I have no doubts that You want me to move forward.  But which path do I take from here?  I don’t want to make a wrong move. Someone recently told me a quote that went something along the lines of “the direction you go in will determine where you end up”. Well, as my granddaughter used to say “I already knowed dat!”  I know that if I drive on I-95 North, I will not go to Florida and definitely not to California!!  Reaching the desired destination requires being on the right path. Yoga Berra once said “When you get to a fork in the road, take it.” Lord, I desire the destination that You have for me and want to be on the path You have laid out for me to follow. I have desire to reach the path, but I need discernment to recognize the path. Just like David in Psalm 25:4, my prayer is “Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow.” Lord, my prayer is that I would recognize Your will for me. Isaiah 30:21 gives me encouragement that You totally encompass me, giving me direction. I know that You have a plan for me. Help me to follow the path that You have planned rather than any path of my own limited knowledge and planning. Psalm 32:8 gives me the promise that You will not only show me the direction I should go but also that You will watch and make sure I stay on the right path. Lord, I ask You to determine my steps, my path, and my direction.