Wide Steps

Psalm 18:35-36 – You have given me your salvation as my shield. Your right hand, O Lord, supports me; your gentleness has made me great. You have made wide steps beneath my feet so that I need never slip. (NIV)

Our home is perched on a hillside, overlooking a lovely, quiet body of water. Until this summer, to reach our basement or to proceed to the lake's calm shore, we have always had to pick our way carefully down that hillside, being careful not to slip or slide or twist an ankle along the grassy way. The winds, ice, and snow of winter made the trek even more dangerous, and the rains and mud of spring still have the power to make me shudder!

From now on, however, things are going to be much different, for this summer, from the top to the bottom of the hill, we built steps — wide steps constructed of sturdy wooden ties and rock — steps which transformed an often harrowing and arduous climb into one of ease and confidence.

Daily life can also be filled with harrowing and arduous climbs in any number of situations. In our fast-paced world, the security of our jobs, relationships, money, technology, and health can suddenly become much like the hill our home is perched upon: slippery, treacherous, icy, and muddy.

I have discovered, however, that since I placed my trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of my soul and the guidance of my life, no matter the steepness or condition of the hills of life that rise before me, I am now able to walk daily on wide steps, constructed by the love of Jesus Christ when He died for the sins of the world on the framework of a wooden cross, so long ago. These wide steps were formed by the Rock of Ages, the Great I Am, who is able, not only to direct and keep our feet firmly planted on the pathway of life and goodness amidst the slippery slopes of daily life, but also to transform the lives of all who place their trust in Him.

Prayer: Lord God and wondrous heavenly Father, we praise You this day for the marvellous gift of Your Son Jesus, who came, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. We thank You that through Him there is no eternal doom awaiting those who trust Him to save them. Help us, O God, this day and every day, to commit our way to Jesus for His guidance and direction, that we might learn to tread the hills of daily living with confidence and ease, through the transforming power of His love and forgiveness. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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