If you’re a believer that is conscious about living in the Spirit, you know that something in the universe has shifted. Many of the events played non-stop in the media are horrific and evil, and much about our world is superficial and empty. Although we may not be hearing what this all means from a spiritual point of view, darkness is closing in and the times are more urgent than our natural senses can detect. This isn’t pleasant to hear, and it may be pessimistic, but when it comes to the prophecies of God’s Word, our optimism or pessimism are of no consequence. God’s prophecies about the future are being fulfilled before our very eyes, and not one of them has ever failed. For many, these words are ominous and too close to comfort to digest. But for the believer that is anchored in the Lord Jesus Christ, we know that no matter the darkness, there is always a place of safety in God’s light, and it is illuminated for us as we remain obedient to His Word.
God is in control, and this should be an enormous comfort to His people, because He has promised to protect and care for those that are loyal to Him. He holds our futures in His hands, and although things feel unpredictable and unsteady, God will always provide a way of escape for those who trust Him. He has already predicted these events in His Word, and He alone knows every detail regarding the future. He also knows every detail about our own individual lives, including every weakness within our human frame. He knows how satan has used these weaknesses to plot against us in the past and God knows what satan is plotting against us in the future.
Our Heavenly Father wants and is committed to preserving our lives. He doesn’t want anyone to be entangled with evil, and 1Timothy 2:4(NLT) tells us that He “wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” Please don’t allow any drop of 1Timothy 2:4 to slip by you. God wants every person living or that has ever lived to be saved. He doesn’t want their souls to be forever in the bondage of sin and darkness, and this is why He sent His only begotten Son to earth. He sent Jesus Christ to rescue and redeem our souls from damnation, and to make it available for us to become God’s children of light. John 1:12(NLT) declares, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”
The second part of 1Timothy 2:4 is as relevant to us as the first part. Not only does God want us to be saved, but He wants us to understand His truth. He wants us to study, know, and live the Word! He created us in His image, and through Christ, He revealed the righteous nature that all His children must have. We are to be like Jesus Christ, and this begins with knowing who Christ is.
Jesus Christ is the subject of the Bible from beginning to end. Every word contained in God’s Word helps us to take on more of him. God’s Word, the Bible, is God’s truth, and it is our road map to the destination God has planned for our individual lives. We cannot get to where God desires us to be without knowing and understanding His Word. The world is a landscape filled with mines. These are dangerous traps set by the devil, and they are designed to trip us up, destroy our lives, and keep us from walking in the power and authority of Christ. They are designed to wage a war on our minds so that we are stuck in negative attitudes and thoughts that cripple our believing and keep us from moving forward in God’s blessings.
When our believing heads south of faith, we are moving in the direction of doubt and fear. These heavies, doubt and fear, are an enemy to our faith in God. They cause us to lose hope and to not see our glorious and loving Heavenly Father for who He is. And not only this, they keep us from seeing the glorious reality of who God has made us in Christ. When our vision is blocked regarding who God is and who we are through Him, we descend into situations and conditions that imperil every aspect of our lives. We start to make decisions and choices that are unwise, and these make our weaknesses weaker. This isn’t what God wants for any person.
1John 5:19(NLT) tells us, “We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.” The more people the evil one has under his control, the more challenging life on earth becomes. We are seeing this in real time. Through Christ, God has provided us a way of escape, even in the most confusing and difficult times of our existences. He makes a way for us to more than just get by, but to triumph over all the problems that sin causes. Romans 5:17(NLT) affirms, “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.”
Our Heavenly Father causes us to triumph through our faith in Him. This is walked out in our lives as we operate according to what He says in His Word. Hearing His directives, following His guidance, discerning His instructions, these must continually be the petitions of our hearts in prayer. In Psalm 119:133, the Psalmist prayed, “Order my steps in Your word; let no sin rule over me.” When we seek God with all our hearts and put nothing or no one before our commitment to Him, He will direct our steps according to His Word. He’ll keep our feet from falling into traps.
God’s standard is the one we should want for our lives. We should want to live His way because living His way positions us to receive the maximum blessings in life. Society will try to convince us that we should desire whatever the world has to offer, but only God’s Word can fill our cups. It is the bread of life! Psalm 119:105 tells us that His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths. God blesses His Word, and when we have the blessing of God, we don’t need anything else. He alone gives wisdom and shows us the way we should go. He’s given us a solid foundation through Christ, and if we are humble and honestly submit to Him, God will order our steps in His Word, and His Word will transform our lives. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
The KJV is public domain in the United States.
“Steps that Are Ordered in God’s Word”, written for victoryinjesuschrist.life. Copyright© 2022. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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