"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord."
First, we must answer the question, what is a "good" man/woman? This not a reference to a perfect person. Only one person who walked this earth was perfect, and that was Jesus Christ. Romans 3:23 tells us that: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." A "good" person is one who has surrendered his or her life to Christ and is living by faith in Him. Unlike the Pharisees in the New Testament, this person does not flaunt his or her own religiosity, rather, he or she humbly serves the Lord in a spirit of humility and love. This does not mean that he or she approves everything. It does mean that he or she lives his or her life based on faith in Christ and on belief in the tenets of the Bible as set forth by Jesus. This doesn't leave room for self-righteousness, nor does it leave room for self-denigration. Second, what does it mean to have one's steps "ordered by the Lord"? How can a person know what it is that God wants him or her to do? One thing that this person does is pray. For example, as I have tried to have my steps ordered by the Lord, I have prayed for His guidance, and in His wisdom, God has helped me make right decisions for my life. I would be lying if I tried to convince you that I have done this perfectly, but it has surely worked well for me many times in my life. I can also relate to you that when I have not prayed and have not listened in my mind and heart for the Lord's guidance, I have made big messes. Another thing that this person does is to try to live his or her life in line with the Bible. There people who make fun of the Bible and make horrible examples of people in the Bible to prove that the Bible has a mixed message. These horrible examples are there to remind us that when we get away from God's guidance in our lives, we make a mess. There are a lot of people whose lives are big messes. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know right from wrong. Just a cursory glance at the Ten Commandments will offer great guidance on how to live a good life. Third, what is the advantage of having one's steps "ordered by the Lord"? It will give direction to our lives. When I turned the direction of my life over to God in 1959, things began to fall into place in my mixed-up life. I wish that I could tell you that I have done it perfectly, but that would be untrue. Following His direction, however, I knew where I needed to go and went that way. Looking back on my life, now, it is amazing to me how God has ordered my steps. The best biblical example that I can think of is the great apostle Paul. His life was headed in a direction of destruction. He was following his anger and his prejudices, and trying to destroy God's work in the world. When he met Jesus on the Damascus Road, his life took a dramatic turn and he went in a new, more constructive direction. For example, he ended up starting many churches, and writing a third of the New Testament. Having our steps ordered by the Lord will give us the guidance that we really, really need. Many of you might disagree with me and say that you can make your own decisions and that you know what is best for your life. I wouldn't argue with you about that; I would just suggest that you will understand this concept only when you turn your life over to Jesus, live by faith, study the Bible and develop a prayer life. You need divine guidance in your life. You can fight it, but if you will seek it, your life will be better. Take the psalmists' word for it: "A good (person's) steps are ordered by the Lord." Watch your step. Bro. Joe
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
All
Archives
September 2021
|