HIS WAY HAVE I KEPT
“My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.” Job 23:11
Job was as human as the rest of us, but he stands out in our minds as one of the Bible’s truly great men. He endured indescribable loss, and by God’s grace, was able to rise above his circumstances. He was not sinless, but Job was determined to stay true to God as he dealt with his adversity. “My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.”
Job serves as an encouragement to all of us not to lose hope in the most difficult of times. The fact that Job was set on keeping God’s way, “his way have I kept,” reminds us that God does indeed have a way, and that way can often be different from our way. His will is not always the same as our will, and the two may, in fact, be in direct conflict. As believers, we are to find and keep God’s way and surrender our way. Although Job was committed to keeping God’s way, some who claim to belong to Jesus are more committed to keeping their own way than His way. We are to discover His way and keep it, even in tough times.
If anyone could ever be tempted to leave God’s way, it might have been Job. We can learn from his example. Although we would all assent theoretically that we should keep His way at all times, we know there are experiences where it is not always the easy thing to do. For instance, there is a tendency for some to waver in times of adversity. God’s goodness might come into question or His faithfulness might be doubted when our circumstances are difficult. We need to keep His way, especially in times of testing.
It is equally true that people tend to waver in periods of prosperity or success. When things are going well, let us be careful not to leave God’s way. There is something about good times, or times of ease, that causes many to lose their focus, devotion, and commitment to keeping His way. It should not be so. When we realize that the Lord is protecting and providing, it should cause our hearts to grow fonder of Him and cause our steps to follow closer to His way.
Then, there can be a tendency to waver from His way over time. We must guard against the temptation to let familiarity and routine cause us to leave the old paths and drift from His way. Whatever comes our way, because of God’s good grace that is with us, may we hold His steps and keep His way.