The Footsteps of a Good Man
Tony
Scriptures:
Psalm 27:23 1 Samuel 13:14 Acts 13:1-22 Psalm 51 Psalm 73:13
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” (Psalm 27:23)
Last week Marian’s devotional pointed us to the words of Jesus about the broad and the narrow way, focussing on our faith as a journey.
Throughout the Scriptures, the people of faith were known as a pilgrim people. Abraham, Isaac and Joseph were pilgrims. Moses led the twelve tribes out of slavery in Egypt and Joshua led them into Canaan, the Promised Land.
David was a shepherd boy, a warrior who became a king. As King, David led the great procession, bringing the ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem to be housed in the Tabernacle (Holy Tent) until his son, Solomon completed the building of a great stone temple to accommodate every aspect of Jewish worship. David’s life was complicated. He committed adultery and was guilty of planning a murder, yet Scripture describes him as “a man after God’s own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22)
In Psalm 51 we are able to read David’s prayer of shame and repentance. We ourselves sometimes fall to temptation along the way, but sincere repentance will always bring forgiveness and cleansing by the precious Blood of Jesus, giving us a new clean start.
Paul and Barnabas travelled widely preaching the Gospel and teaching new believers. They looked to God for direction and in Acts 13:1-3 they were sent on their way by the Antioch Church, who were moved on by the Holy Spirit.
In Psalm 77:13 we read, “Your ways, O Lord, are holy.”
This presents us with a problem because although we try hard, pray and read the Bible with all the commitment we can muster, still our ways simply are not holy.
There is an answer. God has made a perfect provision for us to be holy before Him. We can follow the steps of the one good man who can make us holy by what He achieved on the cross of Calvary. When we follow Jesus we follow the steps of the one and only perfect Man who ever lived on earth. Following in His footsteps we can arrive eventually at the open gates of Heaven where we shall meet the One who has guided us Home. As we face an uncertain future, I often reflect upon the words of Minnie Louise Haskins – well known words quoted by King George VI of England on Christmas Eve 1939 when World War II had been raging for four months:
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, the yearning in my heart is that every step of my life will be ordered by You. In the midst of the darkness that surrounds me, I reach out my hand to take Yours, knowing that You will continue to guide me into Your paths of righteousness until I reach the beautiful gates of Heaven. Amen
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