Jeremiah 10:23

Jeremiah 10:23 "LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps."

Psalms 37:23 "The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;"

Proverbs 20:24 "A person’s steps are directed by the LORD.How then can anyone understand their own way?"

Proverbs 16:9 "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps."

I have difficulty understanding how God's steps in my day to day life add up to His will. This passage of Jeremiah (and the cross references) make it seem that pre-destiny is at hand. Certainly from God's perspective everything is pre-destined. However, I'm not God -I'm adopted into His family. I haven't clearly known God's steps, or followed His ways. I see God's steps are in motion in Scripture. As a born again believer I'm told: "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me (Matt 16:24).'" Everyday I forfeit this life to Jesus, so that Jesus would be alive in me.

I surrender my pride, my own plans for the future and trust, and walk by faith. Ultimately it becomes a gainful act, God comes into my life and shows me His "steps".

God made firm my steps once I committed to Him that I wanted to quit smoking. He faithfully has "strengthened my steps" and He gave me the victory over the odds of quitting cigarettes. His guidance of my steps has set me on a victorious path away from smoking for nearly five years.

Somewhere between Jer 29:11 where God declares that He knows the plan for our life (big picture) and Jer 10:23 God directing my steps (choice by choice). I get filled with thinking: "What about the filler: week to week, month to month, injustice after injustice..." I suggest (have found)that faith is the filler: dependence on Jesus. Trust, devotion to Jesus, service, humility, (fruits of the Spirit), that becomes the substance/filler between the God's steps for us and God's plan for us!

Back in the day: Buddhism, art school, drugs, drinking, Satan, the American Dream, free will, peer pressure and caring what others think, were steps I chose to succeed by. They all fought against me, feeding on my lack of self control.

Much of the deception of Satan in my life was believing that I was the center of the universe. "I create my own destiny." I was never told the wisdom of Pr 16:9 "They (my steps)are established by God." Proverbs 20:24 "steps are directed by God." Ps37:23 "strengthened, (firm) by God".

Surrendering to God's steps in my life is proving to be hard. I need therapy from the Holy Spirit to undo these lies I lived by: "do what makes you happy." Or "do what you love." I never gave God His due sovereignty. I never asked Him to "Establish, direct, and strengthen my steps."

In Christ Jesus I have been adopted into the family of God. This was done by having faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. I invited Him to be Lord of my life forever. Scripture says, He became "a ransom for many (me!)." This gift of salvation has an implication: that life is not to be lived out for yourself anymore. God's steps for our lives is to deny ourselves and trust Jesus... one step at a time.