SPEAKER_00: Hi everyone, it's Nancy with your Wednesday edition of our daily walk.
SPEAKER_00: Friends of mine recently spent time in France at a very old home.
SPEAKER_00: One of the unique characteristics of the home was the various levels.
SPEAKER_00: There were steps up and steps down between rooms throughout the home.
SPEAKER_00: So my friends needed to be careful how they moved about, and the steps to the third floor were narrow, steep, and had no railing to give support.
SPEAKER_00: Needless to say, the home was unique and also challenging for my friends, but they made it okay.
SPEAKER_00: As I've thought about their experience, I saw a correlation with my own life, particularly of recent.
SPEAKER_00: There are times that I can move about easily through the opportunities and the challenges of my life.
SPEAKER_00: Things are accomplished as I move about my day comfortably.
SPEAKER_00: Then there are times when I need to move a bit slower and carefully, because there are steps up and steps down that I need to be mindful of.
SPEAKER_00: Nothing major, and I assume I can manage fairly easily.
SPEAKER_00: Even with steps to climb, there's been a railing for support and security, so I'm okay as I move along.
SPEAKER_00: But there are times when I face a challenge, like the steps my friends face to the third floor, where the climb is steep and there's not a rail to hold on to.
SPEAKER_00: When I face steps like that, my fears urge me to walk away, to give up.
SPEAKER_00: Without help, I don't think I can make it.
SPEAKER_00: I'm facing one of those challenges right now, and in a way, an inexperienced new dog owner who is big on desire and short on confidence.
SPEAKER_00: You see, I haven't had a dog on my own, and I didn't grow up caring for one, so this is new in many respects.
SPEAKER_00: But that's a story for another devotional, perhaps.
SPEAKER_00: I've been asking the Lord to confirm that I'm making the right choice for myself and for this little rescue.
SPEAKER_00: And as he is doing so, he's also reminding me of what he's been teaching me in deeper ways the past few years.
SPEAKER_00: What he has shown me is that while some of the steps in my life seem steep and I don't have the railing I've relied on in the past, he has promised to be right beside me each step of the way.
SPEAKER_00: All he asks is that I ask him to show me if he wants me to climb.
SPEAKER_00: And I need to not let my fears or concerns cause me to quickly rush ahead or run away.
SPEAKER_00: I must trust him to guide me as I step.
SPEAKER_00: Trust him to be by my side.
SPEAKER_00: Trust that if I stumble, he will catch me and not let me fall.
SPEAKER_00: And if the way is steep or I'm weary, I need to trust that he will carry me.
SPEAKER_00: As I thought about my friend's story of the steps and about what I'm going through in this season of my life, the Lord took me back to a verse he brings to my mind so very often.
SPEAKER_00: That's Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, which we've shared before, about trusting in the Lord and not leaning on our own understanding.
SPEAKER_00: And I also think of Psalm 28, 7, and I want to share that with you this morning.
SPEAKER_00: The Lord is my strength and my shield.
SPEAKER_00: In him my heart trusts, and I am helped.
SPEAKER_00: My heart exalts, and with my song I give thanks to him.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.