God directs our steps

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” proverbs 16:9 NKJV

I had to chuckle as I stood at the corner of Dollison Avenue and Catalpa Street in Springfield, MO early Saturday morning. “This is certainly not what I had in mind when I decided to sign up for the Run for the Ranch marathon many months ago,” I thought to myself as I cheered on the hundreds of runners from my volunteer position that were actually participating in the race. What I had in mind was to run the race with my friends and go home with the medal I had set my heart on; instead I was directing traffic and yelling out, “Go left!! You’re doing great!! Keep it up!” But isn’t that the way life goes for a believer? We plan our ways but the Lord directs our steps? Of course it is.

And you know, when it comes to being used by the Lord for His good purpose, do you realize that the day you and I submitted our hearts and lives to Him was also the day that we submitted our steps to Him as well? Crazy right? But that’s exactly what it means to follow Jesus.... we allow Him to guide us wherever He wills. You see, you and I can make plans until we are literally blue in the face; plans that may even seem to be what we feel the Lord is calling us to. But in the end, the Lord will place us where He wants and will use whatever it takes (in my case a hamstring strain) to get us there. And it’s this knowledge that should incite us to remain joyful when we find ourselves in places we never expected to be that we might fulfill the tasks the Lord has placed before us.

So if you find yourself being redirected today, smile BIG my friend. Although you may not understand it, you can be sure that what God has planned for you is way better than what you had planned for you. He is so good like that.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that our ways are not Your ways and that Your ways are always better. Help us to submit to your redirection with joy and anticipation rather than with kicking and screaming that we might be used to bring You glory. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!!!

I will go - Starfield