Ordered Steps

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

This is a verse that has become increasingly important to me over the past two years or so, and I want to share some thoughts on it.

Here are a few points:

I. Steps vs Path
 

There is a distinction that needs to be made between the path we walk and the steps we take. Now, it is true that God directs, guides, orders, and prepares our path in the same way he directs our steps; but from an earthly, human perspective without the lofty, overhead view of God, sometimes we lose the distinction.
 

The steps we take are more along the lines of individual choices we make, whereas the path we walk is the series of steps we take over time and the direction our steps take us.
 

With this in mind, it is important to note that God says He orders our steps. The takeaway from this point is that God wants us to focus on the individual steps we take instead of a general path.
 

I catch myself praying in vague generalities all the time. Instead of praying for walking the right path, pray for specific steps you can take. The shift of focus from a general path to more specific steps will ensure you begin to walk the path God wants you to take. Bring your walk with God into laser focus with intentional steps.
 

And take it one step at a time. For the serial planners out there, it is difficult not to ask God for the next 10 steps and when exactly we should take them, but just take one step and walk with God.
 

Over time, when you look back at all the individual steps you've taken, you will be able to see the path God was directing you to take.

 

 

II. The Unseen Plan
 

The fact that God will order our steps does not necessarily mean that every step you take will feel like you are doing God's will. If we knew with 100% certainty in every moment of our lives that every single step we took was God's will, it would not be a walk of faith. "Stepping out in faith" would have no meaning.

The vast majority of the time we only see God's will in our lives in hindsight. Now sometimes God indeed gives us specific direction, but other times He allows us to go through life without knowing His will... and then some time later you will look back and see you were indeed in God's will.

The steps of a good man are ordered, but not all the time are we aware of the steps that are prepared for us. God has a plan. And there is peace in knowing the plan is there, whether we know it directly or after the fact.
 

While we are in the unknown season, it is easy to feel anxiety, fear of the unknown. But while there is fear in uncertainty, there is peace in knowing that despite what we see, there is a plan.

Jeremiah 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

 

Author's note - I have tried many times to post this, but never could. No matter how many times I tried, it still felt incomplete, and even now I feel that way. Perhaps this is because this is something I am still learning and exploring myself... this really is an ongoing learning experience for me. I am getting the impression that I never will truly 100% completely understand the plan of God and how He chooses to manifest it in our lives, but I have decided to post this work-in-progress as a "progress report" of sorts.