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CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST June 19,
2005 FAMILY MATTERS OF CONCERN: Our
congregation Various friends, relatives and co-workers Our nation,
military and leaders David, Leon, and James in the military Muriel is
being checked for cancer HAPPY
FATHER'S DAY! SUMMER YOUTH SERIES: June 20 - Bammel July 11 - Watters Road with David Fraze June 27 -
Westbury with Jerome Williams July 18 - West Houston SOMETIMES
BY STEP "'You
will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I
will be found by you,' declares the Lord,' 'and will bring you back
from captivity'" (Jeremiah 29:13-14). We are very
familiar with the song Step by Step by Rich Mullins. It has a
nice beat and good words. Oh God, You are my God And I will ever praise You
This is
only part of the song, the chorus. It speaks of praise and following
God, of learning to walk with Him in our lives. There are a number
of texts that appeal to these ideas. For instance, in the midst of
lament, Jeremiah tells us that God's blessings are new every morning
(3:22-24). The Psalmist speaks of the word of the Lord as a guide to
his path (see Psalm 119). Praise is seen throughout creation by
various portions of creation (Psalm 148). Since I
enjoy the song, I was a little surprised that this was just the
chorus. So I printed out the verses which helps to put a better
light on the song.
It appears
that the author is struggling with life, not uncommon to many of us.
Night ended too soon so that we had to face another day. The idea of
"hot" in my mind would be that of the desert, the emptiness
and dryness of a sand, rocky place. "How long must we continue this
way, God?" That is life. There are going to be struggles. We wonder
if it is worth all the headaches and heartaches. And where is God in
all of this? Is this the way it is suppose to be? So much to do, to
read, to study, to accomplish, and so little time. Everyone wants a
piece of my time. The boss. The family. The church. The drive to and
from. But then we are called back to the reality of God. "Oh God,
You are my God…And step by step You'll lead me." But there is
more. It's in the
morning as we face the day that it all comes into focus, doesn't it?
We can understand why some just do not want to face the morning. The
pile of worries just grows. And what we can't do today will have to
be done tomorrow. The words of Jesus come into play here. "But
seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things
will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of
its own" (Matthew 6:3-34). So Mullins writes: "I will seek
You in the morning…And I will learn to walk in Your ways…And I will
follow You all of my days." We must chose between God and money,
or mammon in the older translations. So this part of the song deals
with our worries.
Rather than
be citizens in this world, we are pilgrims. It is difficult to
understand that unless one has been in a totally different culture.
For instance, I was stationed in Japan in the Air Force on the main
island in the north. The base culture was American but once outside
the main gate, it was Japanese. Few spoke English. There were no
English words. Communication was very difficult. Imagine that
Abraham journeyed from his homeland to an unknown land, with a
different culture and language. It would take time to adjust and
loneliness and doubts would become a part of life for some time.
Every time we have moved we have to adjust to a new situation, and
there were always doubts. As Mullins expresses, we "may falter in
my steps." Life is tough. "Sometimes the climb can be so
steep." A new relationship, a new job, and change in life; must
it be this way? And where is God? "But never beyond Your reach."
God is with us. Paul, writing from prison, speaks of rejoicing and
of contentment on all circumstances (Philippians 4:4-13). Why could
he say these things? "The Lord is near!" Sometimes we forget
that. So again we
are reminded: "Oh God, You are my God…I will seek You…And I will
learn to walk in Your ways." Step by step. Step by step God will
lead us. Step by step He will walk through the valley of death or
deepest darkness (Psalm 234). Step by step He will guide through the
maze of life. Step by step He will help us over the mountain and
through the rain, the sorrow and pain of life. Our response is
simple. "And I will follow You all of my days." Is that
really so difficult a commitment? Rich
Mullins wrote a number of songs including another favorite in which
we sing only the chorus, "Awesome God." One wonders what
words of wisdom he would have wrote had he not died in a freak auto
accident. What he wrote continues to encourage many to walk with
God. The verses to Step by Step enhance the chorus and its
meaning. Hopefully someday it will appear in a song book to continue
our focus on the God who walks with us.
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