Reb Rev's Blog

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.”– Psalm 37:23

I listened as my friend described the pain in his back, from having “stepped wrong” off of the curb.

I once broke my foot as I took a “misstep.”

We have probably all done it, and it hurts – sometimes physically, as in the cases above. At other times, it hurts our pride, as our misstep may cause us to fall, or at least stumble in front of a group of people (hopefully strangers we will never see again!)

Those are bad – but arguably worse are the times we “step wrong” in life choices. Those painfully poor choices we often make. Just like the physical missteps, these can be private (still painful) and they can be public. They are embarrassing and can leave emotional scars, painful memories, and cause self-doubt in future decisions.

This is when we need to remember the verse above. When we follow God’s ordered steps, through obedience to His word, seeking wise counsel, and learning from past mistakes (ours and those of others).

“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”– Philippians 1:6
In Max Lucado’s book, “When God Whispers Your Name,” he uses (in my opinion) a great illustration about our plans for our lives.
He says, “Pick up a high school yearbook and read the “What I want to do” sentence under each picture. You’ll get dizzy breathing the thin air of mountaintop visions.”
Do you remember yours? Those of your friends? Maybe it consisted of going to an ivy league school. Maybe it was to live on a Swiss mountain and write books. Possibly it was to live in the White House (that was mine thanks to a joke by a “friend” on the yearbook staff). Others may be to bring about world peace, find a cure for cancer, teach children in the inner city.
And then, take those some yearbooks to those same people gathering for their twenty-year reunion and discover the “rest of the story.” Some of those lofty dreams may have come true, but many haven’t.
Changing direction in life is not altogether a bad thing. Losing passion in, and for, life is a tragedy. Fulfilling life’s commitments doesn’t have to lead to drudgery.
As Lucado says, “Convictions to change the world downgrade to commitments to pay the bills. Rather than make a difference, we make a salary. Rather than look outward, we look inward. And we don’t like what we see.”
In the verse above, we are reminded if we belong to God, He has a plan for our life and THAT should bring joy to our day and life to our steps. No matter who or where you are, God isn’t finished with you yet!
My prayer for us this week is that you will pursue God’s plan with passion and joy.