Step by Step
by Anne Lawrence
Over the past few months I have been training for a half marathon with my husband and some of our colleagues. The other night when we ran back up the drive it was very dark. Without lights it was a struggle to see. As I looked ahead, I couldn`t see anything. After a while, I looked down and noticed that in fact there was a bit of light and I could see the ground in front a bit clearer, making it easier to run. When I lifted my head again, once more I couldn`t see a thing.
That made me think of my life and walk with the Lord. I have a tendency to always look ahead and to the future and I don`t always focus on “now”. However, the future is often not clear because the Lord has not revealed our path to us yet. What He wants us to focus on is today and the things He has prepared for us today. When we focus on the future, the path may seem unclear or hazy but when we look at today, He gives us light to take the next step.
This walk takes faith, perseverance and trust in Him. He encourages us to hide under his wings (Psalm 91) and to take His yoke which is easy and His burden which is light. He promises to guide and direct our path, but He doesn`t promise to tell us the whole plan at the beginning.
Why doesn`t He do that? We`d often love Him to and can sometimes feel impatient. He doesn`t tell us the whole plan because He wants relationship with us; He wants us to grow in our love for Him; to discover more of who He is and to discover more of who we are. The goal is important – Paul encourages us to run the race with perseverance to win the prize – but the journey is also important because the Lord is wooing us and drawing us closer to Himself.
So today, let`s focus on what the Lord has prepared for us for this day. Let`s keep our eyes fixed on Him and allow His light to illuminate the way step by step. As we take each step with Him, we`ll be able to stop now and again and look back and see how far we have come.
Prayer: Thank you Lord that you love us so much that you want relationship with us. You want us to know you intimately as you know us intimately. Help me today to focus on what you have put in front of me today and to take each step with you as you light the path ahead. I choose to trust you and to patiently walk with you. In Jesus name Amen.
Anne Lawrence joined the team at Ellel Grange in 2010 and is the Deputy Centre Director. She is married to Paul, Centre Director. Anne previously worked in education. Her last post was CEO of a College in Dublin. She has written courses, syllabi and a book for the English for Work series published by Longman. She has a heart for the broken and a passion to see people set free and released into more of what the Lord has for them. She loves to teach, listen, worship and create things.
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