“I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23
We do not own our lives. We have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). Jesus’ sacrificial blood purchased our freedom from the fire of hell, sin, and death. By faith, He owns us. A great exchange took place when you first believed in Jesus. What’s yours became His, and what’s His became yours. The life of Christ became your life. It is not your life to define, but His. He has wrapped a wonderful definition around whose you are in Him. You are a child of God. You are secure because your Savior keeps you. You are valuable because the Lord values you.
You are protected because the Almighty owns you. The Bible is God’s glossary of how to define yourself. Scripture gives you a family tree of faith for you to trace your religious roots. It is a mirror of how God sees you. He sees you as accepted in His Son, though you suffer rejection from others. Cherish and enjoy daily the acceptance of Jesus. Moreover, your mistakes are His opportunity to affirm His acceptance. There are still consequences to your sin, but He is always available to receive you back because you are His. He accepts and receives back His own.
Furthermore, He directs His own (Isaiah 48:17). God wants you to understand and follow His plan for your life. Praise God it’s a step-by-step process and He directs your steps! Some days you may feel like it’s three steps forward and two steps back, but do not be discouraged or dismayed. God is still directing your steps, though at times they seem tedious and laborious. The Lord leads you in lockstep with His steps. In His steps is the wise way to walk. Do not run ahead, thinking you have to set a record for speed or quickness.
In fact, fast steps may cause you to backtrack and relearn what God was trying to teach you. Walk patiently with Him, and watch Him work. The Holy Spirit is your step director. You are in His step class for instruction in His word and exercise in faith. Learn how to let the Lord direct your steps. Prayerfully listen to the quiet prompting from His spirit. Stop when you need to stop. Speed up when you need to speed up. Slow down when you need to slow down. God directs the steps of a submitted and surrendered man or woman.
Stubbornness is hard to direct (Psalm 81:12). Pride resists direction, and independence attempts to self-direct. Listen to your spouse or close friend. God may speak His next steps through them. Self-direction is like traveling alone to a new destination without a map or an orientation to your surroundings. It is futile and frustrating. It leads to fatalistic thinking. God-directed steps, on the contrary, are a pathway to peace.
You can rest in His far-reaching perspective and other-worldly wisdom. He gives divine directions that determine His will for your life. Step by step He leads you. You can trust that His way is the best way. Be patient. Watch Him work in spite of adversity and a lack of resources. Avoid a two-step with yourself, and stay in step with your Savior. Allow your Maker to define your moves. Walking with the Lord is the wisest way to go, so resist directing your own steps. Trust in your walk with Him, and allow His direction to define your steps.
Taken from the July 10th reading in the 365-day devotional, Seeking Daily the Heart of God.
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