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Proverb 16:9 says; A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
Have you ever thought to yourself, "how in the world did I end up here?" Without a doubt you have thought it or maybe even said it out loud. It is a question that is usually asked out of frustration, inquisitiveness, bewilderment or even disbelief. When one considers the world in which we live and the cultural ability of even our nation, which used to be referred to as the cradle of the gospel, to dive headlong into sin, liberty stealing ideologies, and godlessness, it is a valid query.
If you are older than 45 then you can probably remember when things in the nation and in our world were different. You can remember playing outside when you were a kid. You can remember calling adults by mister, missus, or miss. You remember learning to print with those big fat pencils they gave us in first grade and then learning to write in cursive, and how grownup you felt when you mastered the skill. You remember cleaning erasers and washing the blackboard for the teacher. You remember saying the pledge of allegiance and it wasn't a point of contention, it was just natural, it was part of school. You also remember when you went to church, youth camp and when you were old enough to understand who God was and how much He loved you. You remember when you responded to His love when you realized He gave His Son, Jesus to die on your cross and you confessed that you were a sinner in need of of forgiveness. I could go on and on, but my point is that times have changed and like the Proverb writer states, we can plan our direction in life, but if Jesus is our Savior it will be Him that we allow to direct our steps. The most unsettling thing for me is that the turmoil and chaos isn't only in the culture and world around us, it's in the church as well. I struggle each day as a minister knowing that in the upper echelon of the church in various denominations there are those who intentionally are undermining the authority of God's Word to cater to the ever-changing whims and fads of self indulgence that society can conjure up. When church officials and seminarians propagating ideas that go counter to the Bible and pass it off as biblical I find myself at odds with church leaders who have become nothing more than politicians that lead people astray and into bondage.
So, I confess that I have asked myself, the question, "how did I get here?" But I am reminded that while the chaos going on in much of the church there is a remnant that remains true to God's Word and His Will. Elijah must have asked himself that same question that you and I ask ourselves and God showed him that there is hope because of the faithful.
No matter what the days ahead may throw at us if we commit to stand faithful to God and His Word and to each other then we are an unstoppable force for God's good in this world.
I am here with you because this is where God directed my steps. I am so glad He did. As I said recently in a sermon to my congregation, they are my family of choice and they are as dear to me as my blood kin. And if you are reading this and you need to experience love, then all you need to do is turn to Jesus and get to know Him through the Bible, God's written Word. It doesn't really matter how we ended up here in a world that denies God at every turn. A society that is self centered and a church world that is in the throes of apostasy we can find hope and encouragement in knowing that this is only a chapter to an ever-changing story in which we have a part to play. Our role is to be faithful and not to give in to fear. Our steps are order by the Lord!