King David wrote, “If you do what the Lord wants, he will make certain each step you take is sure.” According to that comforting psalm, we can trust that God himself has closely attended our journey on the path of righteousness—even when we didn’t see it. The Lord has been with us all along the way, and is there now, even in the smallest details of our lives, making sure that our journey will lead to where he pleases. What an encouraging thought: the very next step I take he has already directed.
The Journey: Psalm 37:23
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
What is the best way to do the will of God, to always act in ways that please him and invite his blessings not only on the big decisions but on the daily details of life as well? It is simply to place before him the offering of a godly life. The Contemporary English Version translates Psalm 37:23 this way:
If you do what the Lord wants, he will make certain each step you take is sure.
Perhaps you have experienced, like me, that life has only gotten become more complex as the years go by. It is often very difficult to discern the will of God not so much between good and bad, but between better and best. Sometimes there is a gray fuzziness that clouds the right path where the road forks in our journey. And since we usually don’t hear the audible voice of God saying, “this is the way, walk ye in it!” or have his undeniable hand steering our every forward movement, we are left wondering, “what am I to do?”
According to the psalmist, we can trust that God himself has been closely attended our journey on the path of righteousness—even when we don’t see it. We have been guaranteed that the Lord has been with us all along the way, and is there now, even in the smallest details of our lives, making sure that our journey will lead to where he pleases.
What a comforting thought—that “the steps of a righteous person are ordered of the Lord.” So, since our steps are pre-ordered, when you come to a fork in the road, as Yogi Berra would say, “take it”. If you have been doing your part—praying, obeying, trusting and honoring God, being in fellowship with his people and accountable for your life, studying his Word—God has directed steps that have led you to where you are now. Now take the fork, God will have directed that as well.
Proverbs 3:5-9 reminds us,
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over.
Abe Poeman, a fourth-century Egyptian monk, said, “If you think little about yourself, you will have rest wherever you reside… If you are silent, you will possess peace wherever you live…To throw yourself before God, to not measure your progress, to leave behind all self-will—these are the instruments for the work of the soul…Give not your heart to that which does not satisfy your heart.”
In other words, delight yourself in the way of God and you will find that he has made your way delightful.
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