Scripture says in Psalm 37:23, “The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.” As Christ followers, we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. (2 Cor. 5:21). So does that mean our steps are ordered? Wouldn’t that make us walking puppets? I had wondered on many occasions how it was possible that our steps could be ordered, and if it were really true, wouldn’t life be easier? On one seemingly ordinary day, I got my answer.
About six months after I heard the call of God to the five-fold ministry I was feeling very frustrated. I could see evidence of the call but it was going as slow as molasses. One particular morning I asked the Lord why things weren’t moving faster. His reply: “I said your steps were ordered, not your days, weeks or months. Pay attention to your steps today.” So I did.
I left the house at 8:30 a.m. to take my brother-in-law Jason to the airport. We drove through McDonald’s for breakfast and off we went. So far, pretty boring everyday life stuff. But God knows how to turn the mundane into the miraculous. After dropping Jason at the airport, it was off to another area of town to pick up my income tax check. Yay for much needed money! I was headed to Chase Bank, but since I was unfamiliar with the area, I missed my turn and it would’ve been too much of a hassle to go back. No problem. Chase Banks are everywhere. As I got closer to my side of town I saw there was another Chase Bank next door to where I needed make my car payment. Perfect. I was in the middle lane to turn and apparently the guy who pulled up in the truck didn’t like the way I was doing it. He made lovely hand gestures at me and said a few choice words. At that point, I was starting to get a little discouraged about my lack of progress for the day. I made it to the drive-thru and the teller informed me that in order to get the amount of cash I was requesting, I would need to go into the bank lobby. I went inside and then I was told I couldn’t any money until the check cleared – even though it was a cashier’s check. You’re kidding right? It seemed like every move I made was a waste of time.
All of the sudden I heard a commotion behind me. I turned around to see a young woman standing alone in the middle of the lobby having a horrible seizure. I ran over to her and a man came from behind and laid her down on the floor. I called 911 and there was nothing else I could really do to help her, so I knelt down beside her and began to pray. I wasn’t screaming or shouting, but I was praying out loud. I figured praying aloud wasn’t going to make any more of a scene than a girl seizing in the middle of the bank lobby. As I was praying, I heard in my spirit, “No weapon formed against her shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17). I began to declare this scripture over her. The paramedics arrived and I stood up to move out of the way. Her boyfriend (the young man who stepped behind her earlier) came up to me and I asked him if this had ever happened before. He said, “Yes. She was born with epilepsy and had run out of her medicine.” I turned around and everyone in the bank was standing there staring at us. Some had tears in their eyes. We all started to go back to our business and I went to get my purse from the lobby window. The teller thanked me for standing up for my faith and praying for the young woman.
As I was sitting in my car thinking about what had just happened, the Lord said to me: “What you thought were delays and distractions were really your steps being ordered so you could be in the right place at the right time to pray for this young woman and break the power of the weapon that had been formed against her life since birth.” I was in awe of my God and the truth of His Word. I also felt in my heart that someone had been praying for her to be free from this awful disorder for a long time. Our steps are much more important than we think – they can be life changing.
Romans 8:14 says, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are called the children of God.” This is the key. We are not puppets or living a life of no control, we are led by the Holy Spirit – if we’ll pay attention. I encourage you today to pay attention to your steps and follow the gentle leading of the Spirit. The result will be less frustration and more focus on walking out your days with purpose.