If you own a dog, you know the importance of watching where you step in the backyard. One wrong step could end in a warm, patty surprise on your shoe—or even worse—your bare foot! Maybe this horrific, smelly incident has happened to you because you were not paying attention, or perhaps you were in a hurry to get somewhere. How could this tragedy have been avoided? The answer is easy—by watching where you stepped! It seems to be such a simple remedy, but how easy it is to lose focus and end up with smelly feet!
As women, we are always rushing in life to get things done. We may be impatient while waiting for our children to get ready for school or to complete a homework assignment. We may become impatient to check off the “to-do” list for the day without thought of the consequences or the aftermath left behind us.
Often in our spiritual lives, we have stepped in that unfortunate pile. Then, we may become impatient, frustrated, or even angry at our calamity. Psalm 37:23 says, The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Oftentimes, we are trying to “order our steps for the day” in our own way. Our own fleshly order for ourselves is often not the same as God’s order that He has planned for us.
Two verses jumped out at me as the best remedy to avoid a troublesome path. First, Scripture memorization is of the utmost importance. Verse 31 of the same chapter reads, The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. We should get a verse for the day that we can meditate on and hide in our hearts. Write it down and post it in a place where it will be easily and often seen. Read it. Think on it. Pray over it by asking God to help guide on the right path.
The second remedy is found just a few verses later. Verse 34 says, Wait on the Lord, and keep his way,… Oftentimes as women, we want an answer right now. This is partly because our minds tend to wander to the most precarious situation that could unfold. Sometimes we think we need an immediate answer to all of life’s problems. However, God wants us to be still and patient and to learn what lesson He has in store for us.
Sometimes in life, we may stumble and fall on God’s ordered path. Maybe we have wandered off the path and have stepped into some of life’s troubles. The best part is verse 24: Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. God is always there to pick us up when we fall! He will always help us get back on track.
Our journey through life can be hampered by our own failure to pay attention to what is most important and what should be avoided. Each one of us is personally responsible to allow the Lord to order our steps so that we can successfully step around the pitfalls in our paths. This will keep us upright and on the track God has planned for us to travel so that we may serve Him to the best of our ability!
by Cindy Healy
