The stops of the Lord

One of my all time favorite verses in found in Psalms 37:23, "The steps of a righteous man are ordained (ordered, established) by the Lord.

 

Here's what I know:  so are the "stops of a righteous man."

 

Sometimes God closes a door - and when he does so, it is His will.

 

Let me explain it this way.

 

As I take my daily walk, our neighborhood is filled with dog-owners, walking their dogs.

 

Here's what I have observed:

 

If you walk a dog on a leash and come to a post, or a tree, and the dog goes to one side of the post/tree, and the dog-owner goes to the other side - they will both be stuck.

 

Although both of them are going in the same direction, they will not be able to move forward.

 

So the dog-owner has to back up and pull the dog in the opposite direction in order to get him going the right way.

 

That's how it is in our life with God.  God will pull us back sometimes to move us forward.  He'll jerk us back (as someone once said:  God leads his dear children along - me - he jerks). 

 

In doing so, God is not trying to be mean.  He is just the one who knows how to get us going forward in the right direction.

 

So....if you are seeking God's will about something, and you are living righteously, and you are going through a time when God says, "Stop!"  (How was that for a run on sentence) :)

 

Relax.  You are exactly where you should be.

 

Just a thought for a Thursday.