The Next Right Step

I’m not sure why finding the will of God is so difficult. But, it is. It’s as complex at eighteen as it is at fifty-one or seventy-three years of age. You would think that it would be only a colossal task for teenagers making their journey in life. I guess that unveils the secret right there. It is summed up in the word “journey.” Too often we focus on the will of God as the destination, the completed journey, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Our focus is faulty. The journey is never over as long as we have breath to breathe and a heart to do something for God and His people. We mistakenly focus on the road in the distance and bypass watching the single steps.

The journey—the Christian walk—has always been about traveling from one place to another. Like any journey it takes time; a long time. The road is etched with ups and downs. Occasional tough times meet our moving onward and upward. There are mountains and valleys. Sometimes we falter. Sometimes we fall. But, we get up and keep on going.

Like Kathryn Scott beautifully penned, “We still believe and though the journey has been hard we will confess your goodness…” I love it when she sings from “soaring wings to the shattered dream.” I’d quote the whole song here but it’s really not the Lord’s will to break copyright laws.

So, what is the will of God? It’s not so much about the destination as it is about the journey. Amazingly, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8, ESV). Was it some sort of blind faith or ruthless, risky abandonment? Probably not! He just took the next right step. The will of God is all about taking the next right step. We don’t have to know twenty steps or ten miles down the road. Just get a grip on the next step. God told Abram, “Go.” And he went. He journeyed one step at a time.

Like the heroes of Hebrews 11, we are all pilgrims on this planet. They believed. They had faith. They trusted in God’s promises. They obeyed His Word; the road map in life. So it is with us. We are not moving aimlessly or living without direction; walking around in circles. Our steps are ordered. They are established. Remember, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way” (Psalms 37:23, NKJV). We are walking in step with God. He blazes the trail. It sounds so easy. It is. However, we make it difficult. How? By trying to see the whole trip instead of today’s instructions.

Abraham’s servant testified, “As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey” (Genesis 24:27, NIV). How did that happen? The answer is simple. He heard from the master. He embarked on a journey. He believed he would accomplish his purpose. He found the will of God one step at a time.

Seeking God’s will for your life? Just concentrate on taking the next right step.