The Lord Directs Our Steps

Happy New Year! 

This is a good time to remember that no matter what plans we make for ourselves, it is truly God who determines our path. Sometimes the path he chooses is not the one we have or would have chosen. Where to live, where to work, the lifestyle we choose, our friends, and how we spend our spare time. God gave us the freedom to choose, but when our plans are out of sync with the path that God has chosen, we feel it! We stumble and things don’t go perfectly or as planned. We get frustrated and disappointed and ask “why God?”.  

By living one with God in prayer, with humility and trust we find the answers, if we open our minds and our hearts to his word.  

Proverbs 16:1-9 says it so clearly.  

Proverbs 16:1-9  (NKJV)

The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.

Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established. 

The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. 

Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished. 

In mercy and truth,Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil. 

When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 

Better is a little with righteousness,Than vast revenues without justice. 

A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

You Are Precious

Ephesians 1:4-6 (NKJV) ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.

Just imagine. Before we were born, God knew, loved and chose each and every one of us as his children. We were predestined as children of Jesus Christ and he made us unique and special for his purpose. 

With the current population of the world at 7.2 billion it is difficult to understand how he could possibly know and love each of us, but he does. God has perfect knowledge of each of us.  He wants to interact with each of us as if we are the only person on earth. God is all knowing, omniscient and everywhere, omnipresent.  He knows everything that we think and feel, what we need and desire, and our dreams. He knows every step we take and He walks with us every step of the way. We are each precious to Him.  

Isaiah 43:4 (NKJV)  Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life.

We may become influenced by the world and take the wrong path at times, confused and caught up by material pursuits, but God knows the intentions of our hearts.  He made us and knows that we are capable of living the life he had planned for us, if only we accept him and allow him to work through us. We only need to take time to seek him, talk to him, love him and trust in him.  

Psalm 139:1-4 (NKJV) God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man 

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up;You understand my thought afar off.  You comprehend my path and my lying down,And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue,But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

Dear Lord - Sometimes I feel so small and insignificant in this grand world you created. But you tell me I am special and precious to you?  Oh, thank you so much!  Thank you Father for loving me despite all of my weaknesses.  I know that you know all of them, despite my lack of acknowledgment and confession. I am grateful for your mercy and grace and to be your child and for the blessings you provide to me each day. Teach me Father to live the life you have planned for me.  Amen.

My dear readers, I encourage you to watch the touching video in the link listed below.  It is only four minutes long and will be worth your time. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRvr_qqA1Sk

David’s Song of Thanksgiving

1 Chronicles 16:7-36

⁷ On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord:

⁸ Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
⁹ Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
¹⁰ Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
¹¹ Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
¹² Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
¹³ O seed of Israel His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

¹⁴ He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
¹⁵ Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
¹⁶ The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
¹⁷ And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
¹⁸ Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
¹⁹ When you were few in number,
Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

²⁰ When they went from one nation to another,
And from one kingdom to another people,
²¹ He permitted no man to do them wrong;
Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
²² Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”^[a]

²³ Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
²⁴ Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.

²⁵ For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is also to be feared above all gods.
²⁶ For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
²⁷ Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and gladness are in His place.

²⁸ Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
²⁹ Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him.
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
³⁰ Tremble before Him, all the earth.
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved.

³¹ Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
³² Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.
³³ Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
For He is coming to judge the earth.^[b]

³⁴ Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.^[c]
35 And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;
Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.”

³⁶ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!^[d]

And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  GOD BLESS YOU!