Step By Step

Sometimes the night was beautiful
Sometimes the sky was so far away
Sometimes it seemed to stoop so close
You could touch it but your heart would break
Sometimes the morning came too soon
Sometimes the day could be so hot
There was so much work left to do
But so much You’d already done

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
And I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

Rich Mullins
written along with David Strasser

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

This was one of the very first ‘contemporary’ Christian songs I ever heard.  I fell in love immediately.  Little did I know how much this song would affect me or that I would continue to carry it with me “all of my days.”

Rich Mullins considered this a prayer song because, as he said,  “Sometimes I find it hard to pray.”  (Don’t we all?)  Rich also talked about trying to impress God with our prayers: “We don’t have to impress Him…He is already knocked out about you…God takes the junk of our lives and makes the greatest art out of it.”

This is the cry of my heart, that “I will seek You in the morning and I will learn to walk in Your ways; and step by step You’ll lead me…and I will follow You all of my days!”  I desperately want Him to take the junk of my life and make something beautiful out of it.

My deepest desire is to seek Him each morning and follow Him…truly step by step.  I pray God will “Guide my steps by Your Word, so I will not be overcome by evil” (Psalm 119:133 NLT).  But, being human, I falter and sometimes I fail.  What a relief to know that I am never beyond His reach.  Psalm 139:7 (HCSB) asks the question, “Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?”  Acts 17:27b (HCSB) provides an answer, “He is not far from each one of us.”  Deuteronomy 4:7 (NASB) ties it all up for us, “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him?”

I think this quote from Jerry Bridges gives a great perspective:

“Our worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.”

We cannot escape God’s amazing grace.  It is always there for us. We will always have need of it—at our best and at our worst.  That’s why I am so thankful that “Oh God, You are my God….”  Yes, “I will ever praise You!”

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Lord, I am so thankful for Your leadership.  I am grateful You direct my steps.  Teach me to walk closely with You.  Keep my feet on the path You have placed them on that I may follow You all of my days.  In Christ’s name, I ask this, Amen!  It Is SO!