His Directions WILL Lead our Steps to Himself!

In my previous post, I asked some specific questions. In this particular post, I am hoping to explain how the Lord has answered these questions for me.

So to start, let's be reminded of my questions:

What am I doing with my life?

Is it what I'm supposed to be doing?

Am I where I want to be?

Or better yet, am I where God wants me to be?

Okay, now I want to look again at the verses that the Lord directed me to as I was struggling with these questions just a couple of months ago.

"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9

"I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps." Jeremiah 10:23 

I mentioned how I have become discontent because of where I am at in life and how I'm often questioning whether or not I'm where I'm meant to be and am I doing the things that God wants me to be doing. I admitted to my struggle with waiting on the Lord's timing for things(things I think I want or need to have in life); and how I would attempt to take matters into my own hands instead of trusting that my God is in control and simply continuing to seek Him and His leading in my life to the green pastures, beside the still waters, and in the paths of righteousness.(Psalm 23)
From experience, I know that when we become impatient with waiting on the Lord we can fall into the trap of worshiping other things- clinging to worthless idols in our lives that may temporarily make us feel happy in life but ultimately leave us feeling empty and only wanting more.

There is much to be learned in the "waiting" periods, and they are just as important to us in our walk with the Lord as other times in our lives. If we can trust God and serve Him in the "mundane" things and waiting rooms in life, we will be much more prepared and likely to be trusting Him elsewhere. (And I might add that waiting isn't doing nothing. Waiting patiently is really a beautiful way of displaying your trust in the Lord. He gives us so many verses in Scripture that admonish us to wait on Him!)

Anyway, these are some of the things I've been learning over the past weeks/months, and I've come to realize that I am currently exactly where God wants me to be for the time being. How has He shown me this? How do I know? How can I be so certain? Well, the Holy Spirit has a way of giving that peace of God that surpasses all understanding when we are offering up our requests to God with thanksgiving rather than being anxious and worried about what is going to happen next in life.(Phil. 4:6,7)

I am hopeful that my feeble attempts to explain some of the recent Spiritual growth spurts in my own life will be an encouragement to others who might read this. 
I've read in one of my many books that the best way to know God's will for your life is to know God. How do we know Him? We spend time with Him really reading and meditating upon His Word and spending quality time in prayer and in quiet communion with Him.
For me this meant temporarily abstaining from some things in my life to silence some of the noise- to clean out some of the clutter- to basically not be involved in or have access to some specific things that were a distraction to me. I found it to be very refreshing and very eye-opening to the fact that 1)I CAN live without them and 2)I can live BETTER without them or at least without so much of them in my life consuming my time and attention. 

Try it...if you take something out of your life for a short period of time, you will find out how much it controls you by your response to not having it! Many of the things that occupy our time are not even necessary in life. I am reminded of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke chapter 10 where Jesus responds to Martha's complaints about her sister saying, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." Did you catch that?? He says, "One thing is necessary." We have to realize that the one thing is Himself. The only thing necessary in life is Jesus. He is all we need! (Colossians 3:11- ..but Christ is all, and in all.)

So anyway, all that to say that I am thankful that God is patient and loving. I am so grateful that He is good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon Him (Psalm 68:5).
He has a beautiful way of teaching us the things that He wants us to learn about Himself and about our own selves. He is committed to molding us and shaping us to be more like our Savior, and in that I find much peace especially in my moments of failure(which are all too often...). I am constantly reminded of my need for Him.

I want to close in saying that no matter what you're struggling with, God is there for you and will help you if you only ask Him. I love Psalm 62:5-8 which says, "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah"

In Jeremiah 33:3 He tells us, "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."

 I can promise that you won't regret it if you cut out some of the "clutter" and noise in your life to seek the Lord instead. He just might direct your steps more than ever before, and I trust you'll find out that His direction is never wrong. His directions will lead you to Himself and believe me(BELIEVE HIS WORD), there is no better place to be. Call to Him! Trust in Him! Pour out your heart before Him! He is all that matters in this life. He is everything to hope for now and in the life to come.

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God." Psalm 84:1,2 

"One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple." Psalm 27:4

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works." Psalm 73:25-26,28