“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
–Psalm 91:1 (NIV)
In our small-group Bible study at church, our fearless leader, Dave, made this statement: “No matter how far you have walked away from God, the way back to Him is made up of one step.”
I agree, and I just wanted to say thanks, Dave, for the material. I owe you one.
In all seriousness, though, have you ever thought about the important role which a physical step plays? Aside from celebrating the first steps of a baby, most of us haven’t considered this. It is just something we take for granted. But I would like you to imagine what life would be like without this important function.
For me, it might be the inability to get to my coffee first thing in the morning, and that would be truly terrible. (Oh, please forgive me. That was my feeble attempt at humor.)
I can assure you I don’t mean to make light of such a serious subject. The idea of having impaired mobility brings about visions of a brave new world, and calls for tremendous courage on the part of the sufferer. The fortitude to start from scratch is mind-boggling to me in many respects. So I salute those who have not only faced the challenges a lack of mobility brings with it, but have been victorious in the battle for independence. Some people have faced a sudden catastrophe which has brought impaired mobility about, while others have fought in the trenches of endurance for years.
So, keeping that fact in mind, I would like to ask you a question about something I said earlier, while making some parallel observations between the physical and the spiritual. If physical walking is taken for granted, what about our walk with God?
Unlike those who have faced horrendous physical situations that have come upon them overnight, my primary focus will be on that group of people who have fought what seems to be a losing spiritual battle. While I don’t pretend to know what you are going through, remember two things. First of all, that battle is not yours–it’s the Lord’s. Secondly, if you are brave enough to put Him to the test, you will find that God is faithful.
Sadly, some people say that they are engaged in the war, when they are really going spiritually AWOL, or missing in action altogether. They do this by ignoring the battle, when they should be reading and rereading God’s Word–the instruction manual which the top brass has handed down.
Earlier, I challenged readers to put God to the test, rather than wishing life’s battles would go away. So here is what I recommend.
Instead of trying to escape through denial, God calls us to stand with Him. But we can only stand if we first sit at His feet. In other words, sometimes in life we can only move forward when we are willing to take a step back, and view our situation from a divine perspective.
Now, back to our fearless Bible study leader. Dave, I bet you didn’t know you were that profound. To tell you the truth, I didn’t either. But let’s keep that revelation between us. We wouldn’t want it to leak out now, would we?
Thank you for reading this, and may the Lord give you a wonderful week! We are trying to reach people who are hurting, so if God lays it on your heart, please consider becoming a partner with us. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.mynvm.com and click on the PayPal button. You can also send donations by mail to HCMA (Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association). Our ID number is 560. The address is 101 S Kraemer BLVD, Suite 123A, Placentia, CA 92870.
Finally, you’re always welcome to join our Tuesday night Bible study. These studies are conducted by conference call, and they take place at 5:30 PM Arizona time. Our conference number is 313-209-8800. Our PIN is 8699032. We hope to talk with you soon!
If you have questions, comments or prayer requests for Timothy or Stephanie Burdick, please call 507-369-6861.