God directs our steps when we seek Him and want His direction.
One of my favorite Proverbs is Proverbs 3:5-6.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
I love the promise of God directing our path in this proverb. It is such a clear statement and promise. It leaves no other options on the table. If we do our part, He does His. When we fully trust God and look to God for His direction, He is there to give it.
God Directs Our Steps Like A June Bug
A dear friend of mine always said he felt like God directed his steps like a June bug. That might sound a little unusual until you hear his reasoning. When my friend was a little boy, he and his friends would have June bug races. They had a start line and finish line and would cup their hands around the sides of the June bugs to direct them to the finish line. The June bugs were guided by the presence of their hands. My friend always saw that God directed his steps just as he guided his June bug in the race.
I love that analogy! It makes me think, I want to be a June bug in God’s hands!
As we trust and look to Him, God directs our steps.
The June bug analogy is really a beautiful picture of God’s personal, strong, presence in our life. Not only did God, our Creator, give us our start, He sees the finish line, and He knows our path in between the start and finish line. Hebrews 12:2 says that He is the author and finisher of our faith. Philippians 1:6 says that we can be confident that God who began a good work in us will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
In Psalm 37 David pictures how God directs our steps.
“The LORD directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the LORD holds them by the hand.”
Psalms 37:23-24 NLT
God direct our steps and delights in every detail of it! The Lord even holds us by the hand to keep us from falling when we stumble. I love that word picture of God’s presence and guidance in our life!
Saul’s Problem Was God’s Path
There is a story in Scripture,1 Samuel 9that speaks so loudly about God’s guidance and presence on our journey through life. The story is about Saul who God selected to be King of Israel in answer to His people’s prayer and desire for a king. God used a situation that appeared to be a problem to guide Saul’s path.
Saul’s problem was his father’s lost donkeys. His father sent him to find the donkeys. Saul searched all the possible places, the surrounding regions, even the mountains. The donkeys could not be found. Saul searched for the donkeys so long that he recognized his absence would cause his father to worry about him more than the donkeys. So Saul decides to seek guidance from the prophet Samuel. He doesn’t know Samuel and Samuel doesn’t know him. At the same time Saul made the decision to seek the prophet out, God spoke to Samuel about Saul. This is what God spoke to Samuel:
“Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin,
and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel,
that he may save my people from the hand of the Philistines;
for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to me.”
1 Samuel 9:16
Samuel and Saul met the next day, just as God had said and orchestrated. Saul found out from Samuel that the lost donkeys had been found 3 days prior to their meeting. God used what appeared to be a problem to guide Saul on the path that He had set for his life to fulfill what He had planned for him. At the same time, God took care of the problem while sending Saul on that path.
Our Problems and God’s Path
Sometimes when we are facing a problem, we need toRemember Past Victories During Our Present Difficulties. And we also need to remember that on the path to find what is lost or deal with a problem, we often find the path God intended for us. Sounds to me a lot like my friend’s June bug analogy. Consequently, I would rather be a June bug guided by the hands of God, than trying to orchestrate my own path!
Do you ever feel like you are floundering in life? Maybe feel like your path is not your own but somehow controlled by other people or circ*mstances that are out of your control? Maybe you are facing a problem that you are trying to solve. It may be this problem that is the very thing used by God to put you in the perfect place to experience the fulfillment of His plan for your life.
Today I want to leave you with a prayer to help you discern God’s path and will for your life:
Heavenly Father,
I pray that You will help me to look for You in the midst of my problems. Help me to see You at work leading and guiding me. Give me the sensitivity to Your Spirit to discern Your will and follow Your lead. Thank You for Your personal strong presence and for Your hands guiding my path. Thank you that you will put me in the place I need to be to have Your perfect plan for my life fulfilled.
I'm an enthusiast with a deep understanding of biblical concepts and a passion for exploring the nuances of spiritual guidance. My knowledge extends to various passages, including the one you shared from Proverbs 3:5-6, which emphasizes the importance of trusting in the Lord and acknowledging Him in all aspects of life to receive divine direction.
The analogy of God directing our steps like a June bug is intriguing and resonates with me. It beautifully captures the idea that as we trust and look to God, He guides our path with a personal and strong presence. This metaphor aligns with the biblical perspective that God is not only our Creator but also the author and finisher of our faith, as stated in Hebrews 12:2 and Philippians 1:6.
The reference to Psalm 37 further reinforces the notion that God delights in every detail of our lives and holds us by the hand, ensuring that even when we stumble, we won't fall. This vivid word picture illustrates God's constant presence and guidance throughout our journey.
The narrative of Saul's experience in 1 Samuel 9 provides a compelling example of how God can use apparent problems to guide individuals on the path He has set for them. Saul's quest to find his father's lost donkeys ultimately led him to the prophet Samuel, and God used this situation to reveal His plan for Saul to become the king of Israel.
The article encourages readers to reflect on their own challenges and recognize that sometimes problems are stepping stones on the path to fulfilling God's plan. The emphasis on seeking God's guidance during difficulties and trusting in His lead resonates with the broader biblical theme of relying on God's wisdom rather than our own understanding.
The concluding prayer underscores the importance of looking to God in the midst of problems, seeking His guidance, and trusting that He will lead us to the perfect place to fulfill His plan for our lives. This aligns with the biblical idea that God is intimately involved in our lives and has a purpose for each of us.
If you have any specific questions or if there's a particular aspect you'd like to delve deeper into, feel free to ask.
