“In his heart a man plans his course but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverb 16:9 As I read this verse my mind went back to a dog we used to have named Mia. Mia was a good ol’ American mutt. She was a big dog who loved her family dearly but once she was outside of our fenced yard she became a maniac. We used to try and take her for walks or run her while we rode our bikes but it was always the same. She would constantly pull on her leash as hard as she could. It took every ounce of strength I had to contain her. She had a course of action in mind and it was definitely not the steps that we had determined for her. I thought that with multiple times of this that she would eventually submit and began to enjoy the walk. After a while we finally gave up and she spent the rest of her life in the backyard. Because of her stubbornness and lack of allowing us to determine her steps because we knew what was best for her, she lived her life with less freedom and joy than she could have. Sometimes as I am driving I see someone walking their dog. The dog is happy and content to walk beside them. Every so often the dog will look up at their master to make sure that they are walking the correct way. These are the type of dogs that can be let off their leash to explore this wonderful world because they know and obey their master’s voice and will come to them immediately when they call. I thought of how much more contented they were, how much more they enjoy life because they released control and trusted their master’s steps.
I want to be like that dog. I want to trust my master and walk in the steps that He determines for my life. I want to look to Him and make sure that I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I know if I submit to His steps that I will live a far more fuller life than I ever could if I pulled at the leash and wanted things my way.
