“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.” Psalm 37:23-24
Have you ever been visiting a city, and you had to use the GPS to get around? You were totally dependent on the GPS to get to everywhere that you wanted to go. You had no idea where you were going, so it was up to the GPS to tell you how to get there. I remember one time when trying to leave the Dallas area, and trying to get to I-35 N, and had no idea of how to get there. The GPS kept trying to send me to US 75. I didn’t want US 75. I wanted I-35N. Finally, I gave up, and went US 75, which eventually got me to I-35N, but that really wasn’t the way I wanted to go. Why the GPS took me that way, I’ll never know, but I guess there was a reason.
GPS, or Global Positioning System, uses about 30 satellites that circle the earth and transmit signals. The GPS receiver in your phone picks up these signals and calculates it’s distance from four or more GPS satellites. This way it can figure out exactly where you are.
These satellites can determine exactly where you are, and give you the best route to get to your desired destination. In other words, when your GPS tells you to go three miles, and turn right, continue for 800 feet and turn left, go three miles to exit 42, turn left at Smith street, and your destination will be on your right, it can do this because it can see the big picture to be able to give you the step by step directions.
Sometimes you may not understand why the GPS is taking you in a certain direction, just like I couldn’t understand why the GPS kept trying to take me to US 75, instead of I-35N, but in most cases, it is taking you down the best route to get to your destination.
Just like the GPS satellites can see the big picture to be able to give us directions when we travel, God knows the big picture, and we can put our faith and trust in him to guide our steps, knowing that he will guide us to where we need to be.
One of the messages that Psalm 37:23-24 gives us it that God directs our steps. God directs the steps of a righteous person, when he, or she chooses to follow God’s will. When we are following the will of God, even when we stumble, which being human, we will do, God will prevent us from completely falling and will be there to support us, and to lift us up. This brings to mind Matthew 14:22-33.
Jesus, after feeding the five thousand, had sent the disciples ahead of him to the other side of the lake, by boat, as he dismissed the crowd. He then went up on the mountainside to pray. Later on, Jesus was still there by himself, and the boat was way off from shore, and was being buffeted by the waves because of the wind. Jesus walked out to them, walking on the water.
The disciples, at first, were scared, because they thought he was a ghost. He told them not to be afraid, because it was him. Then Peter said, that if it’s you Lord, tell me to come out to you on the water, so Jesus told him to come on. Peter, following Jesus’ instructions, got out of the boat and started walking out to him.
I always take note of the fact that as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was ok. As soon though, as he took his eyes off of Jesus, and started looking at the troubled waters around him, he started to sink. Even as he started to sink though, Jesus reached down and lifted him up.
Why did Peter start to sink? Because he stopped paying attention to Christ, and started paying attention to the waves around him. This caused him to waiver in his faith that Christ was able to keep him safe in the turbulent waters, and he got scared. That’s why, when Jesus reached out and caught him, he said, “You of little faith,” and then asked him, “why did you doubt?”
This is what happens to so many of us when following God’s directions. We allow ourselves to get distracted from God’s leading and take our eyes off of him. That’s when we get into trouble, and start to sink like Peter did in the water. Let’s keep our eyes focused on Christ, and not on the troubled waters in our lives.
Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.” The encouraging thing is that God doesn’t just send us out. He goes before us, and is with us every step of the way. He knows where he wants us to be in each phase of our lives, and what turns and detours we will need to take to get there. That is why we focus on him. Unlike how the GPS in our car, or on our phones will sometimes lead us astray. God will never lead us astray. We just keep our eyes on him.