A man’s steps are ordained by the Lord.
How then can man understand his way? (Proverbs 20:24)
Joseph in the Old Testament had no idea that his imprisonment was ordained by God to keep him in place against the day he would be revealed to save many in the upcoming time of severe famine.
We Christian servants plan our ways and give them up to the Lord for Him to order our steps. Knowing that we have relinquished control to the Lord, we can expect events not to happen as intended. We give Him permission to use us as He wills.
We plan according to the mind of Christ that God put in our hearts and wrote on our minds. We adapt to circumstances with flexibility, His will and ours working together in unity, changing course with the shifting of currents.
We may hand out a tract as a matter of course, but a sudden interest and question by the receiver arrests our attention, and we stop to see what God is doing in this person’s life. We plan, but expect God to do even more.
Or we can make our plans and fret when all goes differently. We can expect life to go one way and be bitter when it doesn’t. Or become depressed. Or angry.
Or we can let our response show that we are out tune with God. Our negative response reveals that we are not in step, but working at cross purposes regarding His will for our lives. Working with His Spirit leads to confidence, joy and a good conscience.
God demonstrated His love to us, in that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. May the blazing mercy of God shine in our dark moments of complaint and misery and turn us back to Him, trusting in Christ Jesus to forgive our ignorance. His plans for us are still great, and He wants us to be in partnership with Him from now on.
We can’t tell what the Lord has ordained all along the way in the many twists and turns of life. But He has revealed the final outcome in His Word for those who continue with Him in faith.
Jesus will confess their names before the Father and holy angels (Matthew 10:32). He will tell them, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). He will come again, and His reward for their work will be with Him (Revelation 22:12). To those who overcome, He will grant to sit with Him on His throne (Revelation 3:21).
May His promises for you in your affliction cause the goodness of God to guide your steps to return to the Shepherd of the sheep.
