“The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.” Psalm 37:23
As a writer, there are many facets to my ministry. Writing often comes with speaking engagements. Speaking engagements help get my name out to others and give my books the necessary exposure. However, many author friends have a podcast as an offshoot of their speaking engagements or extensions of their brands. Podcasting had been close to my heart for a while. However, I kept making excuses about whether I could complete the job.
Because I'm not as technologically astute as others, I kept telling myself it wouldn't work. I told God I would do it only if he provided me with someone to help me edit it. With the help of a young college student, I was finally able to make that dream a reality. I created the podcast with the theme of resetting people's lives. On the podcast, I share stories from fellow author friends of times when they had a trial in their lives, when they became disconnected from him, a moment when they reconnected with him, and the new chapter that God has brought them into in their ministries.
I only saw it as a simple act of obedience. All I could see when I was doing research and discovering how I would be able to start the podcast was I wanted to be obedient to God’s calling. Little did I know how much of a spiritual reward I would receive from doing the podcast. I have learned so much from these stories and the women who have shared them. It has caused me to grow and stretch in my spiritual walk and rethink Bible passages with renewed fervor.
Additionally, I've had several guests tell me that this podcast comes right in time. Many have thanked me and asked God to bless this part of my ministry because they know it will heal many lives. They also feel they were healed from being able to share their stories. We never know what God is doing in the bigger picture. We often only get a small piece to a much larger puzzle we are a part of.
God often only gives us one piece, and we are responsible for putting that piece in the proper place. In my case, it was to start a podcast. It didn't matter how many people were listening, how many downloads I received, or how many followers I gathered. It mattered that I was obedient to God's Word and that he would bring it to fruition, leaving the results in God's hands.
God allows us to make plans in our lives. However, God ordered those steps to follow that plan. Sometimes, our plans are based on our fleshly desires. Sometimes, God allows those things to happen. He does not allow them other times because it is not a part of his more excellent plan. When my plans go right, I must trust and believe that God has a bigger picture for his actions. I may not fully understand his ways then, but I must trust his timing is perfect and his plan will be completed. I must be obedient to the first step he allows me to take.
What is God's plan for your life? Are you making plans separate from God? Or are you obedient to what you feel God is calling you to do, trusting that God will order your steps and allow his bigger plan to come to fruition? If you are unsure, seek the counsel of others around you. Seek those who don't tell you what you want to hear but people who will tell you what is contrary because it is in your best interest.
Seek out people you can trust who will help you discover and discern God's next step in your life. Don't simply meander aimlessly. Instead, seek the help of the Holy Spirit, who will guide you through every part of your life, one step at a time.
Let's pray:
Father, let us be people who allow you to order our steps. Let us not make plans haphazardly but allow you to take control of every facet of our lives. Help our plans align with your plans. Help us be obedient to what you are calling us to do and let us trust that you will allow your bigger plan to come to fruition. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Tom Merton
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Tuesday, 18 February 2025.
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