Man’s Steps are Established by the Lord (Psalm 37 Devotional)
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. – Psalm 37:23
When I was a young musician, I’d decided that I was going to move to Nashville. It was the hub of Christian music. But just before I made the move, I got a job offer from a church that I’m still serving at today. Though I had a plan, God led me in a different direction.
At the time I made the decision not to go to Nashville, I couldn’t have imagined all the He wanted to do in me through that job, and the blessings I’d see. I don’t know what Nashville would have held, but I do know what an amazing blessing my church has been to me and my family. I had my plan, but He had other plans for me that brought true fulfillment.
We can make all sorts of plans in life, but the Lord is the One who establishes our plans.
That doesn’t mean He’ll give us everything we want, but He will give us all we need for true fulfilment.
We live in a society under the illusion of possession - that we own something. Our house, our car, our kids, our church... but, in reality, we own nothing. The earth is the Lord’s and all that it contains. Even ‘our’ faith is a gift from the Lord (Ephesians 2:8-9). All we have is on a gracious and temporary loan from God. As the old saying goes, “You never see a U-Haul behind a hearse” (meaning once you die, you leave everything behind).
But it goes further than our physical possessions. Where and when we were born was determined by God. The giftings we’ve been given come from God. Our personality types were placed there by God. And our natural inclinations and bents were given by Him. That’s why only He can truly fulfill our desires because He created them, placed them in us, and knows what will truly and best fulfill them.
Leadership gurus will tell people to make 6-month, 2-year, 5-year, or 10-year goals. Though that is a fine thing to do, the reality is that our future is in God’s hands. We can’t know what the future holds, but we can know the One Who holds the future.
If we seek Him and are led by Him to formulate our future plans, we will see them fulfilled His way. But all too often, we set out on our own plans and want God to bless them. Instead, if we seek Him and His kingdom first, we will see the deepest desires of our hearts fulfilled by the one Who put those desires there in the first place.
Questions for Thought
What is something you have been striving for in your life?
Have you really sought God in the matter?
He says as we seek first His kingdom all these things will be given to us. What do you think that means in your situation?
