I hope that unusual title gave you the urge to say “huh?” If so, then I accomplished what I intended… to make you stop and wonder what comes next. Actually, I will try to present to you a pretty simple idea and I hope to challenge your preconceived notions about where you are and where you might be going in life.
As of this morning, Dawn and I are no longer official IMB employees. We are once again on our own… temporally speaking. Of course in the spiritual realm, we walk with God as our guide and sustainer. Now… back to the hatrack.
Just a bit over 3 years ago, we pulled up stakes from our humble abode in Western Tennessee to move to Virginia to begin training for a new career as International missionaries. I hung my hat in a quad apartment situated within the beautiful rolling hillsides outside of Richmond. This was an awesome time and God worked mightily within us to prepare us to move on to the next location that lay before us. Within 3 months we moved into a 2nd story flat in Bucharest, Romania where I hung my hat on a new peg. To hasten the story on a bit, counting the moves from West Tennessee in 2009 to the present, there have been 7 relocations… 7 hatracks to use for a time. The picture for this article is of the hatrack in the mission house where we currently live in Jackson, TN.
So, what is the point? It is to bring me to remind you of a special verse of scripture: Psalm 37:23 which tells us that the steps of a “good man” are ordered… with the inference on a saved person who is walking with the Father. When God placed the desire in my heart to follow Him into International missions, He had a plan and a purpose in it. When He shut the door for that ministry to be a “career” option, He began the process of redirecting our steps to follow Him in a different way. We are still on that path but He seems to be making His intent clearer as we move along. Ok, so “what does that have to do with me?” …you may ask. Just this… if I may ask you to consider your life through the lens of Psalm 37:23.
- When is the last time you really REALLY considered who is leading your steps? Is it the Lord God who sustains you and created you or are you moving along within your own human power and devices? Tough question… especially for those who think they have everything in this life figured out.
- Can you be counted in the “good” column as far as your Christian walk goes? Yes, yes… I know there was none good except Jesus but don’t use that one reference as an excuse for all of your failings. What I am really asking is if your life is characterized by the goodness of the Spirit of God. If you are indeed a regenerated believer in the Son of God then His goodness should radiate out of your existence more than the sin nature which is part of the flesh that your walk around in. Make sense?
- Are you willing to go wherever He asks you to go?
To finish this article, let me say that first… be sure you are saved… a sincere believer in the Jesus who died to pay your sin debt. Next, do your very best to focus on a life led by the power and guidance of the Spirit of the Most High God… more than any logic or perceived life prowess that you may come by naturally. Lean on Jesus and the Spirit of His Father to order your steps. Otherwise, you will never be at peace with yourself and that inner peace is more precious than the approval of men. Amen?
