Order Me Around

Being the firstborn, I'm stubborn and like to be in control. Making lists, planning events, and filling up a schedule keeps my brain going. But I'm learning that God has different ideas about how life goes.

Psalm 119:133 (KJV) Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

This verse struck me hard this morning. Order "my steps," not "my life plans." He wants to order each step. "Order" means the arrangement or disposition of people or things in relation to each other according to a particular sequence, pattern, or method.

God will "order" each individual step. He has the Master Plan for our lives. There is a Divine arrangement of each step, a Divine method to produce the outcome He has for our life. We won't be able to see the whole plan, but He wants us to allow Him to order each individual step.

How? It goes back to that selfless thing we all (especially the firstborns) struggle with. Submission. We have to submit to Him, die to self, quit allowing our lives to be led by things of this world, iniquities, and completely trust Him. We have to trust that this current step He has ordered is exactly where we should be to facilitate His Master plan, although it seems hard or we can't see the next step.

When we let the things of this world guide our path, we are letting iniquity have dominion over us. We are using that as a guide for our life instead of trusting Him. When we do this, we are lacking in faith and peace. Allowing God to order our every step through His Word increases faith and provides indescribable peace.

John 16:33 (KJV) These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

He has overcome the world, those steps ordered by using the world as a guide, will not prosper. It is only when we trust Him and let Him order our steps that we can find peace and good cheer.

So now I pray, that God will order my every step. Lord, show me the very next step that I may walk in it and experience Your peace. You don't have to show me the whole path, because I might try to change or alter it, but just show me where I'm supposed to be right now, and I will trust You.

This is not an easy prayer to pray. And it's definitely not a one time prayer. I have to pray it every single day. Every morning I wake up and my firstborn brain wants to plan and figure things out, and I have shut down those brainwaves and pray that prayer again.

Sometimes I wonder if God gets aggravated at me for trying to do things my way so often, but then I see Him in my children. I'm constantly guiding them, correcting them, helping them stay on the right path. It makes me happy when they are willingly redirected, even if it's the 15th time I've redirected them that day. They are still trying to listen.

God feels the same way about us. He is our heavenly Father. He knows we are not perfect. So let's say you woke up trying to run your own life again today. Redirect yourself to Him. Ask Him to order your steps and not let you be distracted by the iniquities of this world. He will guide you. He's always patiently waiting for us to ask for His help.

If this hard-headed, stubborn firstborn can say, "go ahead, God, and order me around, I'm ready," then you can, too!