Wednesday in the Word: Part of the Story

 

                In church on Sunday, I shared a message about Bible study, and I talked about the reasons I love reading and studying from a physical Bible. One of those reasons? The chance to mark verses that are impactful to me…to keep a written legacy of my faith journey.

                Psalm 37:23-24 are among those verses: The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.

                Next to those verses, I’ve written January 25, 2024….praying for open doors in ministry. At that time, I was still working for LifeWise, and I was preparing to fill in for Jonathan during his sabbatical that would start in about four months from that date. I had known since October of the year before that God had placed a call to local church ministry on my life, but I had no idea how or when He would work it out. While LifeWise was about ministry, I knew the job wasn’t the kind of role God was preparing me to do.

                If you’ve ever had a desire to fulfill something the Lord has called you to, you understand the frustration of trying to be faithful where you are while praying for the God-planted desires of your heart. And that’s where I was.

                I found the verse that particular day when I read a social media post written by Christine Caine. She said, “We all want to get from here to there. I love it when I realize I’m standing in a here place that used to be a there place. As I reflect on all the steps I took – being obedient, faithful, staying my course through all the hard times, I realize how my heart and endurance are what got me here. Every step you take today to move you from here to there is ordered of the Lord. Rest in this assurance, resist the temptation to obsess about where you will end up someday, and trust God by being faithful where you are now.”

                Perfectly timed words, right?

                I didn’t know on that day that I would have less than four months left with LifeWise, and that the weeks of filling in for Jonathan (plus the weeks throughout that year that I filled in at a different local church) would be meaningful preparation for what God had for me later that same year.

                I didn’t know on that day that in one year I would be there – working in full time, local church ministry.

                May the Lord always establish and order my steps. May I always delight in His way. As I go through seasons of here-to-there ministry, may I always be faithful where I am and trust that the Lord is always preparing me for moments to come.

                And may He do the same for you!