The first time I heard someone use the term ‘strategically positioned’, I thought it sounded like something a military officer would say. It sounded foreign to me because when you don’t know much about God’s Word, it is easy to adopt a “take it as it comes” attitude and approach to life. The psalmist said in Psalm 119:133(KJV), “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” As God’s children, our steps are ordered by Him. He doesn’t control us like robots, but He wants us to know that nothing about our existence is by chance; it’s all been purposed divinely according to His plan for the entire earth. The family we were born into, the town or city of our birth, all of this is purposed by Heavenly Father. He strategically positions us according to His Will, and the worse mistake any of us can make is to ignore or overlook the truth of this phenomenal reality.
When I was growing up, and going to high school and college, I didn’t think much about this. It was not until I became an adult that I saw how impactful the lives of others were on my life. I knew it wasn’t coincidental, but purposeful. And sometimes it was those who were on the sidelines, seemingly on the peripheral of my life, that made the greatest impact. A next-door neighbor of mine is a good example. Eric was a timid sort of kid, and he didn’t talk much to anyone. When all the neighborhood youths were outside running around and playing, he’d stick to himself for the most part. All of us kids knew his parents fought a lot, and to me, he always seemed sad. Every now and again, I’d speak to him in passing, but he didn’t say much. I always wondered why he never seemed to want friends.
Looking back, there was something about Eric that always called my attention forward and made me think about things more deeply. It was as if his life was a marker for the events of my own. In school, bullies sometimes gave him a hard time, and I felt bad. He never fought back, but there seemed to always be someone stepping in to help him at just the right time; I even did it a couple of times, myself. For me, it marked my understanding of how cruel people can be. Eric’s mother and father divorced, and his dad wouldn’t help them financially. They lost their home. I remember the day vividly when I heard my mom say they’d been living in Eric’s mom’s car. It marked the beginning of understanding how grateful I should be for my parents and the life God had blessed them to provide for our family.
The biggest marker for me was when I heard that Eric had become a very good artist and received a scholarship to art school. To everyone’s surprise, he dropped out of high school just before graduating. His mom had gotten ill, and he took a job to help care for her and his little sister.
Anyone that wishes to know their purpose in the Will of God can look back over their lives and see a “there, but for the grace of God” example. The Apostle Paul said in 1Corinthians 15:10(NLT), “But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.” There is so much humility in Paul’s words. He understood that every single one of us is living today and have become the people we are in this moment, only by God’s grace.
What happened to Eric could have easily happened to me, or anyone of us. No one can say whether he had another choice and could have made it work somehow by staying in school. In his mind, he must not have felt that he had any other option. All I know is that his choice was one of the greatest markers for my own life because of what it did for me spiritually. God instructs us in Proverbs 3:5-6 to trust in Him with all our hearts. He tells us not to lean on our own understanding, but to acknowledge His presence, grace, power, and willingness to come to our aid. When we do this, He promises that He will direct our paths.
This has to sink in; it is GOD who directs our paths! When we walk according to His divine direction and guidance, our paths will be safe. Proverbs 16:17 tells us that this path leads us away from evil and danger. It’s a path that is and will forever be the very best one for our lives. When we honor God, we’ll be strategically positioned on this path, so that we can navigate life successfully. It was not coincidental that I could witness parts of Eric’s life, and he mine. Not only am I continually inspired by his commitment to family, but I’m reminded how quickly and dramatically a life can be changed by one right or wrong decision.
Many people are panicking because of what is happening in our world. Times are exceedingly challenging, but God has not changed. God is faithful! No problem is too big for Him, and He loves everyone; not just the believer, but He loves those who haven’t yet known about His amazing grace as well. I’m so thankful to be able to know the truth of God, because it has made all the difference in my life. There have been many times where I was tempted to panic, and if there’s ever been such a temptation for many, we are witnessing it today in real time. Things are very scary for many people and they are dealing with very complicated life choices. God wants us to know that His strength works best in our weakness.
Heavenly Father will direct our paths if we come to Him with a willingness to lean totally on His love and power. It is amazing to realize that everything we have achieved in life and all the blessings we enjoy are because of God. We are where we are, and who we are, because of His amazing grace; and this grace has been working throughout our entire lives. Now is not the time to panic. It’s time to press into God through prayer, meditation, and studying His Word. The times are challenging for many people, and there’s no denying this, but we can make a choice to depend on God. He wants a tighter relationship with us through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We need Him now probably more than ever, and only He can bring us through and strategically position us according to His plan for 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.
"There, But for the Grace of God”, written for victoryinjesuschrist.life. Copyright© 2020. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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