STAYING IN STEP WITH JESUS

Posted byDianne HornePosted inUncategorizedTags:, , , ,

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

I don’t know how long you’ve walked with the Lord, or perhaps, you’ve never considered walking with Him.  Since God not only creatively designed you and me, He bestowed upon us our first breath as well.   That took place when you exited a womb.  But, that’s only when we became alive to the world outside the womb.  Each of us had life in a “secret place” where we were being fashioned….in the womb.

“For You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13

He created each of us to “LIVE OUT HIS PLANS AND PURPOSES” in our life.   I could park on that truth for days; but for now, events have recently evolved in my life that I’d love to share with you. 

I’ve been waiting for almost nine (9) months for a special event.  And no, it wasn’t for a baby to be born.  I’m a few years past that type of event (lol lol).   I’ll call it a “longing!”  We’ve all experienced a yearning or deep desire for something, haven’t we.  Perhaps even a longing for belonging! 

God is keenly aware of longings in a person.  God knows I really desire and enjoy almost anything coconut!   My mother-in-love would often make a delicious coconut cake for me when I visited her in New Zealand.  That’s a long way to go for cake…. but hers was spectacular.  It was also special to me because “she knew I enjoyed it,” and would often surprise me with one…as a “personal treat” upon my arrival.

A month ago I made a coconut cake for myself.  My husband isn’t that keen on coconut.  And yes, throughout the week, I consumed most all of it.  I “orchestrated the fulfillment” of my longing which was for coconut.

“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his (our) paths.”  Proverbs 5:21

Reflecting on this verse, we’re told that all of our ways are before the Lord.  And it’s even more wonderful to know that He (God) ponders (that is, He knows and thinks) about our every move in life.

Don’t you often feel that when we read the Bible, we are reading it far too quickly.  Too swiftly to absorb what God is trying to convey to our minds and hearts.  We may read the Bible…. but in reality, the Bible reads us.  

When I took some time to reflect on Psalm 85:13, it seemed to trigger an inner compass that encouraged me in the “ways of God.”  His ways are mysterious for sure, because His thoughts and His pattern of guidance isn’t like ours.  He has a higher purpose in mind…far beyond our comprehension (Isaiah 55:8-9).

He sees the “big picture” (past, present and future).  We can only ascertain our “current” circumstance. His guidance is similar to a global positioning system (GPS), except I like to call it God’s Positioning System.  He shares just enough direction and guidance for us to take the next few steps.  After obedience to that, He reveals just sufficient information for our next step.   Don’t you think that might be one of His strategic measures to keep us “close and more in step with Him and His plans and agenda.”

I’m a planner!  I can plan and anticipate what needs to be done months, if not years in advance.  Please write and tell me I’m not alone.  But when I spent time thinking and allowing that verse in Psalm 85:13 to marinate in my mind and heart, it brings me a quiet peace.  A peace that seems to smooth the anticipated “thoroughfare of my longing.”

Here are just a few “Scriptural road signs” of encouragement Jesus introduced in my almost nine months of journey.

Psalm 57:2  “I will cry out to God Most High, to God Who performs all things for me.” GOD KNOWS WHAT, WHEN & HOW TO COMMUNICATE PERSONALLY WITH EACH OF US

Psalm 62:8 “Trust in Him at all times.” TRUST IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eyes.” PERSONAL GUIDANCE

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.”  DON’T LEAN ON WHAT YOU THINK IS BEST, BUT RECOGNIZE & BRING HIM INTO EVERY SITUATION

Proverbs 4:26 “Ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established.” THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU WALK & HOW YOU WALK AND ALLOW GOD TO DETERMINE, ORCHESTRATE AND CREATE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.   It’s called His Providence & His Sovereignty.  We do not need to “manipulate” our ways and opportunities!

Psalm 73:23 “I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works.” AS WE TRUST HIM, WE WILL SEE & BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH OTHERS WHAT HE HAS DONE ON OUR BEHALF

Psalm 78:14 “In the daytime also He led them with the CLOUD, and all the night with a LIGHT OF FIRE.”When God was taking His people “to” and “through” the Red Sea (He opened and dried up the Red Sea), He led through the cloud during the daytime and by a light of fire at night.  WHY?   So they would know first-hand His personal and caring guidance.  He didn’t want them to be “in the dark” about His leading.  And, they followed by faith!  He led them in a way they would know His presence.

“Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.”  Psalm 85:13

In Psalm 7:9, this verse conveys and informs us that God knows ALL of our MOTIVATIONS, THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS and DESIRES.

Glancing back to my “coconut crave,” it was just a few weeks ago my husband had a ministry trip to Ireland.  He came across a “CHOCOLATE COCONUT MACAROON” treat at a bakery.   Guess who came to his mind when he saw this?  Me!  God prompted him to make a purchase that would bring a smile and an “awww” moment to me. 

The Lord delights in the DETAILS OF OUR LIVES. Psalm 37:23 “He delights in every detail of their lives.

The Lord surprised and delighted me through my husband’s gift in bringing me five delicious chocolate-coconut macaroons.  “God orchestrated” this “coconut surprise” through my husband.  That was a “delight” for sure.

One particular morning a few months ago, I was reading Psalm 5:8b.  God seemed to “light up the page” when reading the following verse.  Psalm 5:8b  “Make Your way straight before my face.”

In His sovereign and providential care, the following day, Jesus brought “right before my eyes” a circumstance that I knew was from Him.

It’s “not the answer,” but it was the manifestation of the fact that He knew what plans He had for me….and I could now “rest in my longing.”

Encouragement was to just KEEP IN STEP WITH JESUS…and I won’t miss a thing He has in store for me.

Maybe one day, I’ll post the A N S W E R.

Published by Dianne Horne

I can’t think of anything I enjoy more than to see lives changed! There’s nothing more that puts “oxygen and joy” into my life than to bring the application of Scripture into the “shoe leather” of our lives and to share it with others. I feel awkward speaking about myself, but I understand it can be helpful to enable others to relate to and enjoy the work of our Lord does in other people. Another down-to-earth way of sharing who I am, is that I love to eat, laugh and to talk about the Lord. I’m not a very exciting individual, but my Savior sure is! I’ve been happily married for many years, and I now reside in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. God has transplanted my husband and I 28 times in our years together; and it is only when in His presence that you can ask the “why questions” as to the adjustments He’s brought us “to” and “through” in the numerous locations and countries we have lived. God’s care, love, forgiveness, faithfulness and moment-by-moment presence has not only carried me (when I had every reason to fall apart), but lifted me to a joy I’ve never known. There’s one thing to have joy when things are going great, and quite another dimension of joy and peace when everything in your world is crumbling and unknown. Most of our lives will appear like “ordinary oatmeal living”, but when we allow Him to “establish our steps”, He alone takes our mundane acts of kindness or aid and makes them “extraordinary” for His purpose in the lives of others. The seasons of caring for my parents and the associated grieving process has forever changed me. It was my honor, joy and privilege to participate with my Lord in what He was accomplishing in their lives, as they both gave their lives to Jesus Christ just days before they were escorted into His presence in heaven. The medical challenges and decisions that needed to be made for a number of those years thrust me into a trust and dependence upon the Lord that I had never known up to that point in my life. In my journey, I’ve come to realize that our “weakness” is our greatest “strength”, because real power, provision, and His purpose being carried out in and through our lives, depends on Him orchestrating such through His sovereignty. My “heartbeat of fulfillment” lies in sharing with women, in various settings, helping them to enjoy, study and apply the principles of God’s Word in a down-to-earth fashion. I thrive interacting with women and encouraging them to put their trust in the One Who knows them best and loves them extravagantly; and to prioritize “spending time alone with God each day” developing their relationship with Him. Our lives aren’t designed to just get answers to prayer….but to know and love a very personal Savior, and to surrender daily to “His plans, His agenda and purpose” for our lives. Several years ago I was challenged to respond to a critical question I had never considered: Why do you exist? What’s your purpose in life? I live to bring an expression of God in the ordinary events of life, seizing every opportunity of serving and delighting in others. I want my life to be an infectious expression of His love for others, and for them to know how special “they are” to Him; and thus be contagious with His grace. My life compass is: After people spend time with me, what do they think of Jesus Christ? The stories that will appear in my blog, are true events that have taken place in my journey. They’re all “very ordinary” circumstances that have occurred through sharing them with Jesus and watching Him orchestrate and demonstrate what He can do when we yield “our ordinary” to the Extraordinary One.

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