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The most important lesson I have learned in my seventy years of walking with the Lord is that while feelings can fluctuate, His Word is a solid rock that never fails to show the way.
I was recently in Mexico chatting with a lovely couple, Oliver and his wife. I asked them a question I get asked quite often: "How does the Lord guide you? How do you know for sure it is His will?" Oliver thought for a moment and said, "Well, He usually gives me peace."
I smiled because I know that works for many. But in my own life, "peace" can be a slippery thing. Sometimes my mind settles into a false peace that is actually just resignation, or perhaps I’m just relieved I don’t have to do anything. While I cherish the supernatural peace of God, He has primarily chosen to guide me through the unwavering foundation of His Word.
Out of the Miry Clay
I remember a pivotal moment when we were selling our house in Germantown. It was a massive decision, and I was bringing it to the Lord in prayer. This house sat on a hill of thick, red clay dirt that had caused flooding and foundation issues over the years. I asked, "Lord, please give me a Scripture to show me if this is Your time to sell. Tell me what is going to happen."
I opened my Bible to Psalm 40. As an Inspirational Composer, I have actually written a song to this Psalm, but the Amplified version spoke to my specific situation with startling clarity: "He brought me up out of a horrible pit… out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings."
When I read "miry clay," I caught my breath. We had lived in that house for forty years. It was the setting for many joys, but also where my children's father had left and divorced me. It was a place of deep history and deep struggle. In that moment, I knew. The Lord was bringing me out of the red dirt and the heartache into a brand-new adventure.
Finding Your Foundation
His Word became the map that led me to a life of incredible joy. I have never looked back, and I have never had a single regret. When we build our lives on these Platforms of Praise, we find that His promises are more than just ink on a page—they are the very Steps To Joy that lead us home.
Reflection: Are you waiting for a "feeling" to make a decision, or are you looking to the Word? Feelings can change with the wind, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.
