Counting Steps

 

Job 31:4 “Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps?”

 Do you count your steps? Brant and I have been known (especially Brant) to brag if we made 10,000 steps at the end of the dayJ. Think about this...a step. Take one and look at how simple that is and how far you get with one step. We take thousands of steps each day...not even realizing our feet are “going.” Unless I am trying to beat Brant to the count, I really do not give any thought to the steps I am taking. Wow! God made us so we can be mobile. That is amazing, isn’t it?

 This book of Job has been such a blessing to me in the past few weeks. In 31:4, I believe Job was talking about his literal steps.  In those simple daily walks he took when he was going to the market, sitting in the gate of the town, feeding his flock, walking home to his wife and children, God was watching and making sure Job was safe.

 Our physical steps are very important. We need to keep moving to stay healthy. But...not everyone can take physical steps. Oh, I remember so well! In October 2003, I broke my ankle walking in Covent Garden, London, not seeing a hole in the cobblestone. That is a great story - but suffice it to say, after I finally got home from six days in a London hospital and then having surgery in America with plates and nine screws, I was not allowed to put my foot down for three months. Could I walk for exercise? No. Could I hop around on my good foot? Yes! Could God still “see my ways, count my steps”? Yes!

 Why? Because I was working on my “spiritual walk” even without my physical steps. We have to work on our spiritual exercise of “walking with the Lord.”  As Job says, God does see our ways and counts our steps...even our Christian walk daily. Those simple steps that keep us close to Him.

 Very familiar verses from Job 23:10 -12:

“But he knows the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

¹¹ My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

¹² Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”

Quite a statement by Job recorded in God’s Word! Can you say that about your spiritual walk? I love to watch our little redheaded great-grandson Cameron do his “happy feet.” He goes so fast for a two-year-old! Then there are the steps of our other great-grands who are older...four, six, and ten.  When all these little grands first started walking, their steps were very uneven. That is why we call them “toddlers.” But Oliver, Emma, and Jayden should not be walking like Cameron. They are old enough to know the danger of running into the street. Their steps are more certain where they need to go. We want those children to “hold to the steps” adults think are safe for them.

Job said in 23:11 - “My foot hath held His steps...” He had kept the Lord’s commandment and loved God’s Word.  As parents or grandparents we are thrilled when we can see our children or grandchildren not only walking (literally) safely, but walking in the way of the Lord.

Where are your steps going? Are you still “toddling” spiritually? It would not be good to see my ten-year-old walking like my two-year-old.

Job says that God will try him because of “the way” he chose. When your steps take you into work, into a grocery or shop, around your home, or on a wooded trail, or to the gym, think about the amazing blessing God has given us to walk! Even more than that, remember God sees our spiritual walk also and we want to be right in step with Him...reading His Word, praying, serving! There is such joy and peace walking in step with the Lord. It is our choice just like physical exercise!

--Maylou Holladay