When I was a Little League first baseman in ages past, my long arms gave me an advantage getting to wide throws. My manager told me I had a boarding house reach. I did some research and found that before my time people would take temporary residence in boarding houses (somewhat like the bed and breakfasts of today). When meal time came the food would be placed on the table and it was every person for themselves. The person with the longest reach had the best chance of leaving the table full. I thought it was a neat phrase, even if my parents had taught me better table manners than that. I think all of us stretch to reach what we want – what looks good to us – without checking to see if it is really what we need.
God knows His plan for us and what the future has in store, but He only lights our path one step at a time because he also knows how we tend to get ahead of ourselves and put the cart before the horse (another of my parents’ favorite expressions). We live in an age of instant gratification and that tends to make us very impatient and in a constant rush, but that isn’t really something new. Reading about the Israelites after they escaped from Egypt, you get a sense of the same impatient demands. We need to learn from their mistakes and trust God’s leadership and timing to get us to the Promise Land on schedule without a forty year detour.
When I began walking with a cane, I soon discovered that getting in too big of a hurry could put me at risk. When the tip of the cane is firmly planted on the ground or floor it gives me full support, but when I reach out with it to speed up my progress, the tip is on edge and easily slides on the surface, suddenly leaving me with no support at all. I think it is that way in our walk with the Lord. When we trust Him one step at a time, we have full support, but when we begin reaching ahead on our own we slip, lose our balance and many times we fall.
I have become more patient in my old age. I don’t know if it is because I’m wiser or because I no longer have the energy to plow ahead on my own like I did when I was younger. I do know that God has never failed me when I stay on His timetable instead of my own. One reason God lights our path one step at a time is if we knew the trials ahead we might become worried or if we knew the blessings that lie ahead we might try to grab them before we are ready for them. I think another reason is that as a loving Father, He wants to surprise us with His gifts. There is a gospel song that states, “Expect the unexpected when God’s about to move. He will meet our every need in ways we wouldn’t choose. Be still and know He’s in control, His power will come through. Expect the unexpected and watch what God will do.”
Walking with the Lord one step at a time isn’t always fun. There can be no victory without a battle; no reward without risk; and no prize without effort. But His path always leads us toward Him and our final glorious destination.