Psalm 37:23--(KJV)--The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delighteth in his way.
This past Saturday, I drove a church bus from Savannah to the Jacksonville International Airport to pick up some people who were returning from a missions trip to Chicago. While traveling down there I had my mind on this scripture. It was what I was going to teach on the next day, (Sunday).
As I watched the mile markers pass by, a different meaning began to take shape. I started my journey on I-95 at mile marker #94. Naturally the next mile marker was #93 and so on to the Florida border. These were measured steps that got me from one place, and to another, and to another, and to another, until it finally got me to my destination. And, they were all ordered.
That's when it dawned on me that God's path to our answered prayer is much the same way. When we ask in faith and believe we receive the answer when we pray, (Mark 11:24) God puts us on an orderly and measured pace to get to our destination.
Jeremiah 29:11--NLT--I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
God has things all planned out for those of us who commit our lives to follow Him. The question is, do we want to move forward with Him and are we willing to follow the planned path He has established for us?
After we believe and start traveling on our way to our answered prayer, God leads us to and through places where it just does not look like He knows what He's doing. Sometimes it even looks like He is taking us in reverse. Sometimes it looks like He was just kidding when He said He would meet all of our needs according to His riches in glory.
Sometimes, there is pain on the journey. Sometimes people do their best to discourage us. Situations come up that we never counted on. People let us down that we thought would stand with us through anything. Of course, there are those people that watch us go through some bit of misery and encourage us to give up and declare that God is dead.
God never promised us that the way to an answered prayer would be easy, but He DID say that He would give us the things that we asked for. He never said there wouldn't be discouraging times or that you would never meet discouraging people, but He did say the He would give us the things that we asked for.
Rolling down I-95 was pretty boring. There were a lot of trees and bushes and creeks and bugs. As a matter of fact there were more trees and bushes and creeks and bugs than there was Jax International Airport. But that was the boring path that I needed to take if I ever wanted to get to that airport, pick up those homeward bound missionaries and get them back to Savannah.
If we honestly serve God, then we need to understand that He has us on a path that He understands a whole lot more than we do. He sees a lot farther down the road than we do and has it all planned out. All we need to do is patiently follow each step just like I had to go past every mile marker before my journey was over.
Sometimes we get discouraged, but we must not give up. We WILL get to the destination if we don't stop. Sometimes we meet with unexpected problems but keep on going. Every day means that you are one day closer to your miracle or your need being met.
Just like mile marker after mile marker, God takes us on our journey one step at a time. He is right there with us each step we take. He planned your trip for you and has promised you a good destination. Learn to enjoy walking with Him each day and the trip will become much shorter.
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