Secure Steps
There will be times God leads us into dark, confusing, lonely, or difficult places. But we never go on that path alone. We can trust that as we take our steps, he will strengthen our feet and will take us by the hand to exactly where he wants us to go. This is faith.
Recently, I was walking back to my car from a swim meet with my two older kids. They participate in a swim league during the summer, which often go until 10pm or later. There were three teams, which meant there were no parking spots by the pool. Most people, like myself, had to park in a neighborhood down the street. As we left to park in the neighborhood, it was so dark you couldn’t see in front of you. There were no street lights or anything to guide the way. I told my kids to be careful and stay on the sidewalk, since we couldn’t see where we were walking.
Faith feels like this sometimes. Oftentimes, it feels like Jesus gives us just enough to see the next step. This can be scary and feel like I’m walking on a sidewalk in the dark with no lights. I think this is by design, though. Faith is all about trust. Faith answers the question, who or what am I trusting in or relying on? Is it God? Myself? Or something else? If the path for our lives were well-lit and smooth, there would be no need for trusting and relying on God. I wouldn’t need God. I can handle walking on a smooth, well-lit path on my own. Life, however, is rarely as smooth or well-lit. God knows this, and knows we need all the help we can get navigating all that comes at us in this life. God knows our best life is lived through complete reliance on Him, so he will often lead us down the rocky path with little light.
As I was reflecting on my dark walk to the car and how this reminded me of walking with Jesus, the Lord brought to mind a passage from Habakkuk 3. In Habakkuk 3:17-19, the prophet records these words:
“Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places.” (ESV)
In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet questions God about how he will handle the evil and injustice in Israel. God lets him know that he is raising up the Babylonians to come and bring his judgment upon Israel for their sin. Habakkuk struggles with this plan and questions why God would do this. God, however, doesn’t really answer this question, and at the conclusion of the book in chapter 3, Habakkuk is left with two options. He can trust God or not. He can trust God even though the path ahead looks hard, difficult, and full of questions–or turn from God, trust in himself, and still be left with moments that are hard, difficult, and full of questions.
Through Habakkuk, I am reminded that life, at times, looks bleak. Life can be difficult. There will be moments when I question what God is doing, wondering where he is, and if he is even listening to my prayers. Life can feel like the fig trees aren’t blossoming and the fields aren’t producing a harvest. In those moments, I have a choice: I can trust God, or I can trust myself.
Habakkuk proclaims that in these difficult moments, he will choose to rejoice and praise God. He has joy in the darkest of times because God is the one who will save, deliver, and rescue him. He knows his source of strength is in the Lord. And he knows that when he walks on the hard, rocky terrain of life (the “high places”), God will make his feet like the deer’s and he will be able to walk steadily, being held and strengthened by God every step of the way. Habakkuk chooses to trust God, and so should we.
This is the truth God was reminding me of on that dark sidewalk. There will be times he leads us into dark, confusing, lonely, or difficult places. But we never go on that path alone. We can trust and rely on God in every moment, especially the hard ones. We can trust him even when we’re not sure about what will happen when we take our next step. We can trust that as we take our steps, he will strengthen our feet and will take us by the hand to exactly where he wants us to go. This is faith. This is reliance and dependence upon God. We won’t always have clear directions or all the answers. In these moments, will we trust Him? Will we have faith?
If you’re in one of these hard moments or in a season of waiting or searching, I want to encourage you to trust God. Continue to fix your eyes on him. Continue to hold onto him. Continue to pray, and ask, and seek, and knock. He is the only one worth putting our faith in. He is the only one who can provide, lead, save, and deliver us. You might not get all the answers. You might not have a bright light to guide the path ahead. You might not know what will happen when you take your next step. But what we do have is a God we can trust. A God who is always with us. A God who leads us and carries us through the valleys. Trust him. Lean on him. Rely on him. Let us all remember the words of Paul in Romans 8:37-39:
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (ESV)
