Stepping After God's Will

"Order my steps, in Your word
Order my tongue, in Your word
Guide my feet, in Your word
Wash my heart, in Your word
Show me how to walk, in Your word
Show me how to talk, in Your word
(refrain)

I want to walk worthy, my calling to fulfill
Please order my steps, Lord, and I'll do Your blessed will
The world is ever changing, but You are still the same
If You order my steps, I'll praise Your name.
~A hymn by Glen Burleigh~

The words to this hymn are beautiful. Nothing in a believer's life is more important than following God's will. God's will can certainly be defined as: "you, as a believer, walking in the steps that God has ordered for your life." Success is finding God's will, as early in your life as possible, and chasing it with your entire being.

The person in whom God delights is one who follows God, trusts in Him, and tries to do His will. God watches over and makes firm every step that person takes. If you desire to have God direct your way, then seek His advice before you step out.

As I was growing up I always wanted to be a lawyer. But as I matured in Christ God took that desire from me. My life became more and more about serving Him and doing His will and not my "wants".

So, how do we find this "will" or "plan" God supposedly has for our lives? He certainly orders our steps, orders our tongue, guides our heart, washes our heart, shows us how to walk, shows us how to talk, but we have a responsibility in all of this also in order for His plan to become relevant in our lives.

First, our lives must be pure. The Bible clearly teaches that the steps of a "good" man are ordered by the Lord. Psalm 37:23.

Second, our hearts must be yielded to the things of God. To yield means to surrender or submit to the physical control of another. God is calling believer's to hand over control of our lives to Him and do whatever He wants us to do. Can you honestly say you are surrendered fully? Do you honestly trust him enough to do that?

Third, you will have to delight yourself in the Lord. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, our will is conformed to His. God merges His will and our desires. He transforms our desires and then gives us our desires. Read the missionary journeys of Paul. Repeatedly it says he went to a place "because he had a mind to go".

God leads through His Word. Psalm 119:105, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

A large part of knowing God's will is determining whether the "peace" you feel is what YOU want or what GOD wants. You must bathe yourself in megadoses of God's Word daily. Only His Word can confirm the peace in your heart.

We must first be made good before we can do good; we must first be made just, before our works can please God. When we are justified by faith in Christ, then come good works. Hugh Latimer (C. 1485-1555)

Proverbs 20:24, A man's steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way?

We are often confused by the events that transpire in our lives. Many things we never fully understand, others will fall into place in years to come as we look back and see how God orchestrated our lives. Proverbs encourages us not to worry if we don't understand everything as it happens. We must learn to trust God that He knows that he's doing even if his design is not clear to us.

If your heart is right before God and God's Word is in your heart and being applied to your life, then the Lord will direct your steps. Having your steps ordered by the Lord doesn't mean that everything will be rosy and smooth for you all the time. While the Lord is ordering your steps, there will be challenges, obstacles, setbacks, sickness, pain, disappointments, heartbreaks and failures. But through it all, as the Lord continues to order your steps, know and believe that all things are going to work together for the good to them that love the Lord, and is called according to His purpose. You must believe and know God is able to order your steps through anything this life brings to your plate. By trusting the Lord you will win in victory!

Blessings to you today as you allow God to order your steps!