Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Pondering The Path of Our Feet

In the Psalms, we're instructed to ponder the path of our feet. In a practical sense that involves thinking about where it is we're heading. I know that sounds like such an obvious thing to do, but is it really something that we spend enough time doing?

How often is it that we stop and think about where we are heading and what's going to happen if we take another step in that direction?

If you keep stepping in one direction at work, what will your life look like in a year or two down the path?

If you keep walking down a winding road in a relationship, is it going to lead to the destination you had in mind?

If you keep taking one step in the direction of a new beginning, a new job, a new ministry, are you going to wake up one day and regret where the road took you?

Pondering the path of our feet.

I'm convinced that if we truly took the time to think a head of where our steps are leading us to, we'd often make some very different decisions. Saying yes to some things while saying no to others. All while keeping in mind that every step we take leads somewhere. Every choice, every decision, all lead us a step further from one thing and a step closer to something else.

That's why living a complacent life is so dangerous. We can fool ourselves into thinking that if we are complacent we aren't heading in any direction so we can't be heading towards anything difficult or wrong either. That's one of the biggest lies the enemy spins. We all are like bottles tossed in the ocean- we're going to move a little with the current of life even if we are just treading water.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to wake up one day miles away from where I'm supposed to be. So once again I'm making a conscious effort to ponder the path of my feet, knowing that if I do so, I won't just be drifting with the tides in life.

2 comments:

scott jackson said...

I thought the Lord directs our paths. Isn't that right? So, like, which is it? Is it God, or is it me. Maybe it really means, God presents options and we decide where to go.

Or maybe, every path is good and if you're sincere, then he'll bless it anyway, even it's wrong.

Some people wonder about choosing from two job offers. "oooh which one does God want me to take". Well... maybe he's giving you two great jobs, and you get to choose.

Kristen said...

I think Proverbs 3:4 kind of answers part of the question: "Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."

I believe that God does direct us, but it's all up to us if we are going to listen and recognize where He's leading. Another verse in Proverbs (4:25-27) makes it clear that we can "step off the path" so to speak.

Sometimes we know deep down which is the way to go, but we choose to step in another direction, not thinking about where it's going to take us in the end.

It could very well be that sometimes God presents us with two good options and let's us choose. But other times I believe there is a good path and there is a bad path, and we need to seek wisdom to make the distinction between the two.