Knowing God's Will for our Life: Part 3 - Our Steps

In the last two articles, we looked at the Purpose for our life (to Know Jesus, Represent Jesus, and to Glorify Jesus), and we looked at the Plan for our life (Our Salvation, our Sanctification, to Share the Gospel, and to Make Disciples). These are the foundational principles on which our lives in Christ are built. They are specific to our relationship and walk with Him, but yet leave room for God to change and direct the details of the day to day. And usually, it is in the seeking to understand the details of the day to day, or specific crossroads of decision in front of us, that we get most hung up on knowing exactly what we need to do, and whether or not we are making the right choice.

This is where many get frustrated. "How am I to know whether God wants me to go here, or there, to do this or that?" It is a fair question, but let's look at a few passages in scripture, as well as a few quotes from one of my favorite Bible teachers as we seek to understand how to move forward as we walk with the Lord daily.

First, God does not promise that He will clarify our steps, but He promises to Direct them.

You may be faced with a tough decision, but go ahead and get the idea out of your mind that you are going to know that you know that you KNOW whether you are making the right, or best decision as you move forward. We are not promised that.

"The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9

"The steps of man are established by the Lord…" Psalm 37:23

We may think that when we make a decision, or move toward a favorable scenario, that God is in it, but He may only be moving you toward something else. In my own experience, God has shown me His plan only AFTER I look back to see how He lead and guided. In the midst of those decisions, which were sometimes made FOR me rather than me choosing something, I had no idea what God was doing, or what was next. There rarely is that much clarity in our decisions. But does that mean that our decisions do not matter? Absolutely not!

As we seek to Represent Jesus Christ, and Glorify Him in everything we do and say, that ought to be the most pressing matter as we consider the different paths laid out in front of us. "Lord, how might you be glorified here? Lord, what are my opportunities to Represent you, to Share the Gospel in this place or that place?" Those are our guiding principles. Then, as we consider the options in front of us, we prayerfully and faithfully, move forward one step at a time. And…even then, it does not mean that our steps are precisely what God ultimately wants. Who is to know for sure save God alone?

"Man's steps are ordained by the Lord, how then can man understand his way?" Proverbs 20:24

Recall how Paul was lead during his Missionary journey that eventually lead him to Macedonia. He want forward to a city which seemed right to him, but God had other plans:

'They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.' Acts 16:6-10 (NASB)

1. They pass THROUGH the Phrygian and Galatian regions…having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit
2. They were TRYING to go into Bithynia…but the Spirit did not permit them
3. THEN Paul was lead by a vision to Macedonia

Paul kept moving forward in his desire to Represent Jesus, Share the Gospel, and Make Disciples, and God directed his steps. Paul was not given an itinerary, nor specific marching orders for each day, but rather pressed on allowing God to direct, change course, specific on the go to put Paul and his companions where God wanted them to be.

Look now at Ruth, and how she came to meet Boaz:

'And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!” “The Lord bless you!” they answered. ' Ruth 2:2-4 (NIV: the NASB interprets the bold to read "she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz")

It was no accident that Ruth ended up in the field of Boaz, but from her perspective, it could have been seen as a happy turn of events. "How fortunate that I end up in HIS field! And what a coincidence that he just HAPPENED to be arriving in the field to greet his workers!" To those who do not live under the knowledge of God's Sovereignty, this entire situation would have appeared to be nothing more than good luck. But we know better! God directed Ruth's steps. God directed the steps of Boaz. God even directed the steps of Elimelech and Naomi in preparation for His provision.

As Alistair Begg taught through this chapter, he had this to say about the above:

"Many of the circumstances of our lives, our joys and our sorrows, are directly related to happenstances. We could never say that we made this decision on certain divine intervention. No! We knew we had to do go to this place, or that place, or another place, and we decided and went forward, and as it turned out…it was in that context that is was that X or Y unfolded."

And when considering how God used the rough time of it that Naomi endured, and Ruth as well with the loss of a husband, and her sons, she may have been tempted to think, "Did we make a mistake coming to Moab?!" But, Alistair added this…

"Even our accidents, such as we would view them from our perspective, are under God's care. The misery and happiness is often derived from accidents that appear quite trivial. But you see…God has the whole world in His hands."

It can seem very daunting to trust God in the moment when He does not allow us to see even our hand in front of our face. All we have to go on is everything we know and believe about Him and His nature. We know Him to be a Good, and a Giver of Good things. We know Him to be loving and caring. We know Him to be Faithful and True. We know Him to have a Plan, even when we do not know what it is, and that Plan will bring out His glory, and if we would trust Him, we may get to be part of that plan and add more Glory to Him and His name. So even when things seem hard, or circumstances fall around us, it does not mean that we are out of step with God, but it could mean that through this particularly rough and dark valley, we will perhaps be able to bring Him more Glory by trusting in and leaning on Him more through it.

Lastly, Alistair gave this statement about God's plan that wonderfully sums up what it means to trust God in the day to day, through everyday circumstances:

"The will of God is not a package that is let down from heaven on a string.

It is a scroll that unrolls from day to day, and the way that we discovery the plan of God for our lives is proceeding on the basis of common sense, careful thought, and specific action.

Not relying on our own insight, trusting in God, but nevertheless using the faculties with which He has entrusted us."

May we have the courage to lean hard on God as we move forward, trusting Him to direct our steps, and make clear the way in front of us…especially when we are unable to see it. We may not have picked the path He leads us down, but rest assured…if we trust Him and move forward with Him…we will find it to be a blessed path indeed.

May God richly bless you in Christ