Stepping Forward

If the LORD delights in your way, He makes your steps firm; though you may stumble, you will not fall, for the LORD upholds you with His hand. - Psalm 37:23-24 (personalized for you)

Have you ever taken a step forward and immediately regretted it?  When I was (very) pregnant with our first child, we lived in an old duplex in Burlington, Vermont.  Its dirt floored basement always scared me. Musty, dimly lit, and criss-crossed with spider webs, it wasn’t good for much except storing gardening tools and bikes.  

It was probably “nesting” that drove me one day to weed the garden, in spite of the bowling ball in my belly.  I went to the basement to get the rake.  Like the soon-to-be victim in a bad horror movie, I shuffled forward in the dark, squinting while whisking aside spider webs and fumbling with outstretched arms for its handle.  A rolling sensation of the rake under my foot was followed immediately by a lightning bolt of pain from its handle swinging up into my face. 

My husband still remembers the looks of disgust he got while walking around town over the next two weeks with his black-eyed, hugely pregnant wife.

Can you laugh at some of the foolish steps you’ve taken?  In the moment, these missteps are often extremely painful, but time allows healing, even to the point where we can laugh them off.

God is pleased when our steps follow Him, when we trust and walk in His ways.  God desires for us to ask Him which way we should we go before we take our first step.  He wants to guide us with His light, particularly when we’re scared and can’t see in front of us.  

In this life, fear will always meet us on our path.  God knows that fear can block us from doing the good He has planned for us, which is why the Bible says, “Do not fear,” over 365 times (one for every day of the year).  When fear creeps into your day, remember to ask God for His strength to keep moving forward.  Let your faith combat fear and watch as God’s light penetrates the darkness and illuminates your way. 

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