In a world obsessed with what’s in front of us, it’s hard not to worry about safety. We want to be secure, and we want to keep everyone around us protected. With the Coronavirus turning our daily lives into rollercoasters, now more than ever it can be a struggle to be away from family and loved ones. As many plans change and we find ourselves in unexpected places, it is difficult to transition into a new normal routine. Whatever challenges you’re facing today, let’s draw near to Jesus as we focus on the passage in Psalm 37. 

God establishes our steps. These are words we often hear but can lose sight of in the midst of trying to ensure our own stability. How many hours of the day do we spend trying to establish our own steps under the guises of productivity, planning ahead, or being proactive? When we realize that God establishes our steps, we are free to look for His love and unwavering faithfulness, instead of trying to control everything ourselves. Look at how beautifully 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 encapsulates this idea:

“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.  But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” (ESV)

God establishes my steps. Personally, my summer agenda fell away because of the pandemic, since my church mission team had to cancel our travel plans to Japan. While it’s difficult to see how God is working through this, I now have more time to minister to the people He has placed around me: my family and local friends. I can now spend more time with God in the mornings and pray for the people both across the room and across the world. I don’t understand the exact reason God is establishing my steps in this way, but I know He is working to sanctify me and use me in the way that will glorify Him most. 

God establishes your steps. Allow God to be your stronghold in this season as you embrace His eternal hope (see Psalm 33:20-22). Instead of attempting to micromanage your life, which I have been very guilty of recently, choose to delight in Him and see what He brings day by day. When you take refuge in God and make Him your first response, He can radically reveal His deliverance in your life. That deliverance will look different for all of us, but it ultimately comes from our loving Father who is steadfast and faithful.

When we try to micromanage and control, we end up seeking refuge in our abilities, well-planned schedules, and personal health. When we take refuge in God, our minds are freed up to delight in Him as we release control to a loving and omnipotent Father. Let’s choose to praise God for His love, thank Christ for His steadfastness, and depend on God through whatever challenges today brings.