Faith Ordered Decision Making

In my walk with the Lord, particularly when my faith is weak and I question my spiritual walk, one of the things I ask myself over and over again is: “What do I really believe?”  It is one thing being familiar with scripture and being able to quote verses, but am I actually applying that truth to my life.  Do I really believe the Word of God? Never had it been more relevant than when a future is not clear and I have some important decision to make.

Psalm 37

Recently the Lord challenged me on Psalm 37:23-24 in the New King James version:

 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

Do I really believe that my steps are ordered by the Lord?  By ordered I mean directed; guided; lead and established by the Lord, meaning that He is in control of every detail.  Commenting on this verse, Charles Spurgeon says that for the good man: “All his course of life is graciously ordained, and in loving-kindness all is fixed, settled and maintained.  No reckless fate; no fickle chance rules us; our every step is the subject of devine decree.”

This means that nothing about my life is governed by the hand of fate as many would like us to believe.  There is never a co-incidence in my life and nothing “just happens ” to me.

The verse goes on to say that God delights in my way, just like I am called to delight in His way in Psalm 37:4.  Spurgeon compares God’s delight in a relationship with the good man to a parent who is “pleased with the tottering footsteps of their babes.  All that concerns a saint is interesting to his heavenly Father. God loves to view the holy strivings of a soul pressing forward to the skies.”   

Even when we fall, which I don’t understand to just be as a result of sin, but more just the struggles and difficulties of life, even then, God’s hand holds us up and sustains us on our path.

It seems the steps of a good woman, speaking to myself, are ordered by the Lord to bring me from strength to strength, from glory to glory, from favor to greater favor, from victory to even greater victory, ever onwards and upwards, more in Christ-likeness  in my journey to completeness – God’s ultimate goal in Phil 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Now in being circumspect about my life and meditating on this scripture, I have asked myself: “If I believe that God orders my every step in this way, do I have great expectations?”

Do I need to stir my heart to believe for greater things?

staircaseFurthermore, if I have great expectations or visions for my life, what steps of faith have I taken in line with these expectations?  Are my steps those steps of faith that characterise a person who believes that God has “got my life in his hands?”

  1. He promises to direct my path: Prov 3:5-6 (KJV)

 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

  1. He promises to guide my path: Psalm 48:14(KJV)

For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

  1. He promises to lead me on my path : Psalm 25:5 (KJV)

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

  1. He promises good to my path: Rom 8:28 (KJV)

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Reflection:

  • Do I believe that God is ordering my steps to victory in the areas of my struggle?
  • Do I believe that God is ordering my steps to people who will influence my walk with the Lord for good?
  • Do I believe that my steps are ordered to a deeper faith and trust in Him?  A greater revelation of Him?  To greater obedience?  To breakthrough? To healing? To restoration?
  • Are my steps of faith demonstrating what I believe?  Do I have a faith vision of what God could do in my life?

Father, may this truth grab a hold of my heart and become a conviction in my life.  I declare that there will be no more seasons of my life that I doubt Your hand in my life, but I will be a person who rests in the fact that You are totally in control.  I no longer believe in fate, chance or co-incidence.  I believe in Your hand that upholds me.  Help me to dream again about what God could do in my life, for nothing is impossible for you.  Help me to start believing, to grow my faith and start praying.

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