Step by Step

It was late in the afternoon when an unexpected phone call rocked my world. Although I had expected the news I received to come sometime in the months ahead, I certainly wasn’t expecting it that particular day or anytime soon. Now I was suddenly faced with decisions that I didn’t want to make. “Now Lord, really?”

As I reflected back on my reaction to that call, I realized that I was feeling overwhelmed and confused, not knowing what my next steps would be or the timeline within which I would be working. If only I had a pillar of cloud like the Israelites in the wilderness to tell me when to move and where to move. For them it was obvious! If the cloud didn’t move, neither did they.

But then I was reminded that although I may not have a cloud showing me the way today, I did have God’s Spirit living within me. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). God is just as present with me as he was with the Israelites. In fact, he lives in me! Can’t get much more present than that!

The decisions are still looming, but for now I can rest knowing that when the time is right, he will show me which way to go if I just keep in step with the Spirit. Too often, I am tempted to run ahead of God, but for now I am waiting so I can walk step by step with him.

How about you? Have you run ahead of God instead of keeping in step with the Spirit? Do you need to slow down and wait for his direction in your life? You don’t need a pillar of cloud because you have someone so much better: God’s Spirit living in you!

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder that although I don’t have a tangible pillar of cloud showing me the way, I do have your Spirit in me. Help me to be still and wait for your still small voice, showing me which direction to go and when to go. And until then, I will wait. Amen.

Go Deeper — Are you feeling overwhelmed today and confused about which direction to go right now? Remember that God’s Spirit lives within you, so walk in step with him. Ask him to show you the way, and take the time to be still enough to hear his voice.

Read Further — Like in the story of Hansel and Gretel, God can provide crumbs along the way, and his never disappear.