Guided Every Which Way
Well now, friend, look at you wanderin’ up this way. Step on up on this ol’ front porch like you were plum meant to be here. I was just sittin’ here watchin’ the breeze tussle the treetops like a playful ol’ goat nudgin’ its buddies around, and I’m mighty glad you showed up. You’ve got that look folks get when life’s interruptions cling to ‘em like sticker burrs stuck to a hikin’ jacket. So, pull up a chair and rest for a lil’ ol’ spell because we’re about to chew on a truth that warms the spirit the way a cast iron kettle warms a cabin on a frosty mountain mornin’.
“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him” (Psalm 37:23). There’s a story about Dr. Arthur Pierson, who once found himself alone in the study of George Muller. When he opened Muller’s Bible to this verse, he saw a little note scribbled in the margin. It read, “And the stops, too.” Friend, that lil’ ol’ tiny phrase can turn your whole world right side up.
We love the idea of God orderin’ our steps. We want motion, progress, forward momentum. We want God guidin’ us from point A to point B like a trail guide leadin’ an ol’ pack mule through the mountains. But what about when He brings us to a standstill? What about when the door plum slams shut, the opportunity fizzles out, or the path ends like a dirt road plum swallowed by tall grass?
Those stops are definitely ordered, too.
“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Sometimes we care more about activity than we do about trust. We panic when life gits to grindin’ to a halt, thinkin’ somethin’ has gone wrong. But maybe the stop is exactly what God intended. Maybe the delay is part of the design. And Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” That truth stands real firm like a big boulder tucked real deep into a hillside that plum refuses to roll even when the river rages all around it.
God is in charge of your steps and your stops. The detours that frustrate you, the delays that confuse you, the doors that close in your face, they’re all under His sovereign care. Nothin’ has gone wrong. The stop is ordered just as much as the step. And Isaiah 48:17 adds even more comfort. “This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Friend, that verse settles into your heart like a wise ol’ river that knows exactly how to snake its way through the valley without gettin’ itself in a tizzy. It reminds you that God ain’t just hollerin’ directions from the porch. He’s teachin’ you what’s best, guidin’ you in the way you oughta go, and watchin’ over you closer than a mama cow watchin’ her calf tryin’ to figure out how legs work. Every pause, every delay, every quiet moment where you’re standin’ still wonderin’ if anything’s movin’ at all, He’s right there directin’ your way with more care than you can shake a stick at.
Father, help me trust You in both the go and the wait. Teach me to rest in Your timing and Your wisdom. Steady my heart when life pauses, and remind me that You are guidin’ every part of my journey. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well now, friend, before you’ve gotta be carryin’ out the rest of your daily plans that take you right on back into that wide world, take a moment to notice what God is stirrin’ inside you. There’s a courage growin’ deep down in you that stands bold like an ol’ mule deer steppin’ into a sunlit clearin’. There’s a peace stretchin’ itself out like an ol’ barn cat sprawled across a warm windowsill. There’s a hope flickerin’ steady like the glow from a warm potbelly stove on a cold night. And there’s a trust in God that He is plum movin’ you forward with the quiet strength of a big ol’ turtle that knows exactly how to keep goin’ no matter what lies ahead. Off you go now, friend, sure and settled, knowin’ that God is in every step and every stop all along the way.
With joy,
Gwen
