We insist on making our own way. We’re prone to march ahead blindly, confident in our path, when in fact, we rarely know where we’re really going, or consider that God might have a far-different destination in mind.
1 John 1: 6-7 says,
If we say we have an intimate connection with the Father but we continue stumbling around in darkness, then we are lying because we do not live according to truth. If we walk step by step in the light, where the Father is, then we are ultimately connected to each other through the sacrifice of Jesus His Son.
Proverbs 16: 9 says,
People do their best making plans for their lives; but the Eternal guides each step.
James 4: 13-15 says,
Listen carefully, those of you who make your plans and say, “We are traveling to this city in the next few days. We’ll stay there for one year while our business explodes and revenue is up.” The reality is you have no idea where your life will take you tomorrow. You are like a mist that appears one moment and then vanishes another. It would be best to say, “If it is the Lord’s will and we live long enough, we hope to do this project or pursue that dream.”
We are not in control; and that is a liberating truth. We even find ourselves currently facing that reality as a church; having poured our prayers, our dreams, our resources, and sweat into what we envisioned as a beautiful new campus in East Downtown. God had other plans, but that means that He is directing us toward something else. Our prayers are for the journey, but our faithfulness is for the next step. It may be a baby-step, a long stride, or it may be a giant leap; but as we continue to place our faith in God’s will, to dwell in the light of His path, we’ll know that we’re one step closer to where He wants us.
Daily Reflection:
Prayerfully consider the Holy Spirit as your GPS. What instruction is it giving you, at this moment?Try to pause throughout the day and orient yourself in faithfulness to the next step.
We seek to live this out as a community, and are hopeful about what God will reveal. Hold our church in your prayers, that the Spirit would lead us, individually and collectively, to take wise and faithful steps.
Daily Prayer:
Lord God, when we find ourselves stumbling in the dark, shine Your light. Grant us vision for the next step. Guide us far from the traps and pitfalls scattered across the land. Lead us by Your will to what awaits us, that we would trust in your faithfulness and provision, every step of the way.
In gratitude and hope we pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.