O LORD, DIRECT MY STEPS
“O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23)
How true those words are. We stumble through life thinking we can chart our own course, yet trip over stones we never saw coming. Without the Lord, the heart drifts like a ship without a compass, carried by every current of its own desire. When Israel had no king, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25), and that ancient truth still rings through the modern world. When man removes God from His throne, chaos eagerly takes His place.
In the days of Noah, “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth” (Genesis 6:5), yet “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). What a tender light in a dark storm! While others drowned in their own rebellion, grace lifted Noah’s heart toward heaven. That same grace still finds us, still calls us from the floodwaters of sin, still steadies the trembling soul.
From the beginning, our hearts have been wayward and our minds clouded. Jesus said that “from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts” (Mark 7:21). That is why He came—not to condemn, but to cleanse; not to destroy, but to deliver. He still calls us from judgment’s path with mercy in His voice: “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).
We cannot save ourselves, and we cannot make ourselves righteous. But “to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5). The Gospel is a key that unlocks the gate no human effort could ever open. It is not something we merely hear—it is something we breathe. It becomes the rhythm of life itself, for “he who believes in Me has everlasting life” (John 6:47).
Faith draws us into fellowship with one another and with God Himself. “Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). There is no joy like the joy of walking with those who share the same blessed hope, who bear the same burdens, who fix their eyes upon the same Christ. Such fellowship is the melody of heaven echoed in human hearts.
Yet not all who hear believe. Jesus said, “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine” (John 7:17). Understanding begins with surrender. When the heart is humble enough to obey, light breaks through. And when grace finds a soul ready to receive, it always leaves rejoicing—just as the Ethiopian went “on his way rejoicing” after he believed and was baptized (Acts 8:39).
Still, many turn away. Jesus once cried out, “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:33). Yet even in those fierce words burned a longing for repentance. The same Savior who spoke of judgment also stretched out His hands in mercy. His love is deeper than our darkness, His patience longer than our sin.
When our steps are uncertain and the path is hidden, the Spirit still whispers, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1–2). The heart of man may be deceitful, but the hand of God is faithful. He knows the road ahead, even when the fog hides every turn. Sometimes He even spares His children from sorrow yet unseen, for “the righteous is taken away from evil” (Isaiah 57:1). There is mercy even in mystery.
So let us look up. Let us trust the One who knows the way we take. Let us walk humbly, forgive freely, and rest in the grace that never fails. The Lord charts the course, and He is too wise to make a mistake. The waves obey Him, the winds know His voice, and every heart that trusts Him will find its harbor at last.
Lord, thank You for guiding my steps when I could not find the path. When my thoughts were tangled and my heart uncertain, You lifted my eyes toward heaven. Teach me to trust Your wisdom more than my own understanding. Lead me through calm and storm alike. Keep me walking in grace until faith becomes sight, and help me fight the good fight with joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
