anitasanecdotes

Proverbs 16:9   ⁹ The human mind plans the way, but the LORD directs the steps.

Have you ever made plans for something and, when you look back on what you did, you realize things did not go as you planned? During the process, circumstances changed and decisions were made that changed the trajectory of the path you ended up taking.

Often we realize that the new path we took ended up being much better than the one we planned. The outcomes are more beneficial. The results are more positive. We ended up in a much better place. It was good that we didn’t insist on our own plans and went in the direction the changes took us.

We spend a lot of time thinking about contingencies when what we really need to do is to ask God for directions. God will direct our path if we are willing to listen to him. The changes in circumstances could be God’s way to lead us in the way we should go when we are unwilling to listen beforehand. Keep your heart open to discover where God wants to lead you. Then, you will follow his path.

Lord, direct my thoughts and guide my steps that I may follow your will. Amen.

Acts 14:8-10  ⁸ In Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet and had never walked, for he had been crippled from birth.  ⁹ He listened to Paul as he was speaking. And Paul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,  ¹⁰ said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And the man sprang up and began to walk.

There are times in our lives when we become crippled by the difficulties we experience. Perhaps we have made poor choices and are having a hard time conquering bad habits. Maybe we are experiencing a personal tragedy: the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, a period of extended illness. In these times it is as though we are paralyzed. We can’t seem to move forward. Depression, hopelessness, and doubt overtake us and we see no way out.

It is in those times that we need to hear the good news of the gospel. Jesus tells us that we are loved. With him we can have the strength to get up and walk even in the midst of the trouble. He will walk with us. He will carry us when we are too weak to carry on. He has been in our shoes. He knows how we feel. He has been victorious and will lead us also to victory. Put your trust in him.

Lord, when we are struggling lift us up. Set us back on our feet so we can walk with you. Amen.

Psalm 119:105  ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

We have recipes for meals, instruction manuals for repairs and maintenance, maps for travel, and textbooks for learning. Some of us follow the instructions and others like to wing it and figure things out for themselves. The only problem with winging it is that there is a good possibility that we will do things wrong. Then we have to undo what we did, read the instructions, and start all over. It is a waste of time and effort.

On the walk of faith we also have an instruction manual, the Bible. But so often we practice our faith without ever cracking it open. We try to walk the journey without the map and wonder why we are going the wrong way. Reading the Bible is essential for the faith walk. If you can’t understand the Bible you have find another translation that is easier to read. We can discover where God is leading only when we have the directions.

Lord, give us a hunger to read your word. Help us read the instructions before we step out in faith. Amen.

Matthew 4:18-20   ¹⁸ As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea– for they were fishermen.  ¹⁹ And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”  ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Many of us have spent years learning to do our jobs. Either we have spent hours in school or perhaps we have been working as an apprentice to a master in the field. Some of us are gifted in what we do. But, even then, we perfect our craft and develop the God-given skills we have.

What is it that you like to do? What is it that you are trained to do? As we follow Christ, God uses the gifts and skills we have to further his kingdom. Our training and talents can be used to help others know Jesus, they can be used to help others when they are in trouble, they can be used to care for the world God has given us.

Jesus says to us, “Follow me.” Let us follow him wherever he leads.

Lord, help us to see where we can use our talents and skills to follow you. Amen.

Romans 8:3-4   ³ For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

When we try to go it alone we are bound to fail. It is hard to maintain discipline alone. We make excuses, let other things occupy our time, and lose momentum. When we know that others are counting on us to walk with them on the journey we are more likely to keep going. We feel responsible to another and allow the commitment to keep up the momentum even when we don’t feel like continuing on.

In our faith walk we cannot go it alone. We are unable to keep the law of God by ourselves. We become distracted by the obstacles of daily life. We are tempted to listen to others who would lead us down the wrong path. Jesus has given us his Holy Spirit to walk alongside us on the journey of faith. The Spirit is our constant companion. He helps us make the right choices and not lose momentum when times get tough. When we know we are not alone, it is easier to keep walking.

Lord, remind us that we are not alone. Help us to hear your Spirit guide us on the journey. Amen.

Joshua 1:3   ³ Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses.

God has given us everything: a body and mind, a place to live, food to eat, a way to make a living, friends, family, and so much more. Some have been given a greater portion, some a lesser, but everything comes from God.

God has also given us a heart that he wants us to use when we make decisions about what we have. While God has given us all these things, the most important gift we have been given is a relationship with him through Jesus Christ. As we prioritize our decisions we need to put God first. When we let God be God in our lives we make better choices with what to do with all that God has given to us.

We take care of what we have knowing that it comes from God. We give to those who are in need knowing that it comes from God for the purposes of doing his will. We don’t hoard God’s gifts because we know that God has been generous to us and wants us to follow in his steps. We can be generous because we can trust that God will continue to take care of us.

Lord, help us to remember that everything comes from you. May we do with what we have as you have done with us. Amen.

Psalm 37:23-24  ²³ Our steps are made firm by the LORD, when he delights in our way;  ²⁴ though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the LORD holds us by the hand.

Anytime we try to change our habits we will have days when we will mess up. We will make the wrong choices. The secret to keeping a misstep from becoming a failure is to not let it become the first in many bad days. A stumble can just be a glitch in the road if we get ourselves up and start moving forward again.

Despite our best efforts in our faith journey there will be days when we make poor choices as well. These failures do not need to become habits. They do not need to define us. We have an advocate in Jesus.

He forgives our sins and holds us by the hand as we turn away from the wrong path and ask him to guides onto the firm road of salvation. Our God does not offer judgment and punishment but instead offers mercy and grace, which lead us to redemption in him.

Lord, when we fall pick us up. Lead us to the right path and firm footing so that we may continue to walk in your way. Amen.

Psalm 86:11   ¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.

Oftentimes we find ourselves at odds in our own thoughts. We know what is right but we desire to do something else. We try to do what we should but we also try to get out of doing it in any way possible. We want to sleep in instead of exercising. We want to eat dessert and candy when we shouldn’t. We choose high calorie foods over fruits and vegetables. The list never ends.

We also struggle with a divided heart when it comes to our faith in God. We know the things that God wants us to do but we are reticent to do them. We know the things God doesn’t want us to do and yet we desire to do those very things. We aren’t consistent in our prayer life, our reading of the scriptures, our worship habits. We even come up with excuses to justify our behavior.

If we put our trust in God he will cure our divided heart. We will find ourselves wanting to be in his presence more and more. We will find our desires meeting our understanding of what is necessary to walk in God’s ways. We will be blessed.

Lord, make our divided hearts whole. Give us the desire to follow your ways and walk in your love. Amen.

Deuteronomy 5:33 ³³ You must follow exactly the path that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess.

If we have a roadmap that shows us the best route to our destination, it is foolish to take another route. Even with a GPS we may be given directions that take us in a way that we don’t want to go. There are stories of computers sending cars up staircases or off dead end roads into ditches. A physical roadmap will show not only the route we should take, but also why the other routes are unacceptable. We follow a different path at our own risk.

The Bible is filled with good directions on how to follow the path God has set for us. The guidance is clear: follow the commands God has given and trust that God has the best plan for us. When we do as God has commanded we not only receive God’s favor, but we live in harmony with others. We are able to handle what comes our way with grace and move forward in faith.

Lord, show us the way we should go. Remind us to keep on the path. Amen.

Psalm 139:3   ³ You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

 “He sees you when you’re sleeping; he knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.” Many of us think about God as a kind of cosmic Santa Claus, who can see how we behave, and who doles out punishment or reward accordingly.

It is true God sees all that we do and knows what we think. But God isn’t out to get us. God isn’t looking for the chance to jump on us when we fail and punish us for our wrongs.

Our God is a God of love. He meets us where we are. It grieves him when we sin, but he meets our sin with mercy and grace. It pleases him when we are good for goodness sake, because we are his children. He meets our good deeds with encouragement to continue to do good because we are good in him. Most of all, God loves us with an everlasting love.

God guides our steps and leads us in the way we should go. God lifts us up when we fall and holds us in his loving arms.

O God who sees us, guide our steps; lift us when we fall. Help us to understand that you love us. Amen.