Walking In Confidence
I went for a walk last night...a power walk with my daughter. I hadn’t taken a power walk in about a year because of a bad fall I took last year around this time. The pain of that fall rendered me immobile for several days and has left its mark on me in more ways than one.
Truth be told...it has caused me to be scared to walk...and afraid to fall.
But last night, in the dark, I power-walked with my daughter. And while there were a few moments when I felt uncertain about the ground below me, I kept putting one foot in front of the other.
I imagine some ”walkers” that came before me. I wonder...did Moses stumble over a rock or fall because of debris in his way as he led the Israelites out of Egypt? Where would we have been if he had stumbled and not gotten back up?
What if David had never ran over, grabbed those stones, and hurled them at Goliath? Would he have had the confidence to lead without that victory?
If Esther hasn’t taken those brave steps toward King Ahasuerus, an entire nation of Jews would have been wiped out at the hands of Haman.
Are you getting my point? We use our steps every day. Perhaps our steps are confident, walking directly into the plans God has for us. Or perhaps we timidly step into what we hope will bring Him glory. Either way, we have the assuredness of knowing He goes before us and clears our path, just like He parted the sea and made a path for that mass exit so long ago.
He went before me last night on my nighttime walk. He cleared my path and gave me confidence to step off every curb. He kept me upright and didn’t allow me to fall.
But what hat if I had fallen? What if a curb had gotten in my way? I know from experience that my God...your God... would have picked me up and dusted me off, just like a parent does for a child. He would have set me back on my feet and challenged me to keep stepping forward. (Even if it took a year to have the courage to do so.)
I don't know what “curbs” or in your life right now. I don’t know if perhaps you have fallen, or veered off the lighted path and are stumbling around in the darkness. But I do know that if you follow the footsteps of Jesus, your path will be straight and clear. You will be able to walk...even run...with confidence and joy.
