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A Gentle Spirit
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Pastor Jeanne Stewart, Oklahoma
http://simplyspokenword.
Another New Path
Walking briskly to her car across the
parking lot, the woman’s shoes left the outline
of splash marks on the rain soaked pavement. The sudden spring thunderstorm bring
memories of a brighter time when living life seemed slower and responsibilities
fewer. Reaching the parked car, she quickly opens the
locked door and slides into the front seat,
keeping as much wetness as possible outside the dry interior. A lingering
presence of peace comforts her from within.
As the rain splatters the windshield, she considers the multiplicity
of paths she has traveled in her fifty plus years. Now God has brought her toward
another new path. No easy pace would mark this
new pathway since this course she walks today has been designed amid discipline
with urgency in purpose. Developing trust in knowing God has been a journey of
His grace she has never known before.
Our steps are ordered of
God
“The Lord directs the
steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (Psalm 37:23
NLT) From the very
beginning of our spiritual new birth with Jesus and making a decision to follow
the redemptive ways of Christ, we make a choice to walk a path of
righteousness. As we grow in grace and His God nature, we find many challenges
in life to overcome the sin nature we were born into. “My steps have stayed on Your path; I have not wavered from following
You.” (Psalm 17:5)
At various times along our walk of
grace we can wander off the chosen path. The Holy Spirit then begins to direct
us back as we are sensitive to listen to our heart’s promptings. The place we
slipped or wandered from once again appears and we take up the walk of grace
once more. Looking ahead we focus once more on our Lord Jesus and follow in His
steps.
Our footprints are
outlined by God
“He lifted me out of the
pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and
steadied me as I walked along.” (Psalm 40:2 NLT)
Recently the Spirit of the Lord spoke
tenderly to my heart:
Precious Daughter … I
traced all your footprints. I have ordered the place you are to walk. For each
new day I bring you to the place I have traced out just for you to fulfill.
Some of your footprints have not been filled in completely. They were days of
training from your disobedience to My complete will and I had to bring you out
of the horrible pit you had fallen into and establish you on the Rock once
again. But remember My precious child, I always bring you back to My firm
foundation, when you trust in Me to teach you a new song to sing along the
difficult way.
My precious one, there
is always a victory hidden within a defeat. For within a weakened moment I Am guiding
you through these times with a way to escape, and to overcome so you will walk
in victory. The traced footprint then fills in and you move to the next path I
have chosen for you. Allow Me to direct all your paths for the heart plans your
way. I want your heart to be My Heart. Listen and hear Me for the voice behind
you is Mine. Be led by My Spirit ahead of you and keep focused as you step into
the traced outline prints I have made ahead of you to walk in. ~
To hurry God is to find
fault with Him
When we hurry God’s timing we are
showing an impatient spirit that lacks humility and in our own prideful way we
are saying God did not answer. Some prayers need time to develop so that God’s will can be
accomplished, for He knows the end to His beginning. We function from the
natural realm when we do not allow His Spirit to do the things we cannot do,
for God is God and He does not need our help, He needs our obedience. “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, He learned
obedience from the things He suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8 NLT)
Embrace the new path the Holy Spirit
has you walking on with obedience to follow the traced footprints you are to
place your feet into. Be totally surrendered to every move, trusting His
training one step at a time, line upon line and precept upon precept. Become a well sharpened tool in the Master’s
hand in the end-time preparation for heaven’s eternal life.
“So take a new grip with
your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for
your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.”
(Hebrews 12:12-13 NLT)
Ending Prayer ~
Father God, help us to
learn patience as we allow another new path in our spiritual growth to take us
where we need to walk in You. Bring greater understanding to our hearts so we
may look upon difficulties as a means of seeing
Your miracles moving through hard places of our lives. We are not alone; You
guide us with Your eye, keeping us along a path that is safe as we trust the outlined
prints of Your Holy Spirit … Amen.
