I shared those words below, from Spurgeon, because after God told me that I was now holy, I was at a lost as to what next. I guess because I did not have help from mature Christians to understand, nor that I matured in the faith enough to know how to move forward. After the excitement of seeing first hand, God's Holiness in me, with my spiritual eyes, and after the initial shock that someone like me could actually be holy, I decided not to talk about it because people would find me pretentious or plain stupid. Then, when I finally understood that I needed to move forward to live out my holiness, it was a time of searching and understanding what this life entails. As usual, I tried to understand it on my own, until I gave up and allowed the Holy Spirit to help me make sense of it all.
I was disappointed to find out that it was as if I was starting this journey from scratch and every step was extremely important. Not only that, I found that every iota of my life had to be lived through the lenses of holiness. I hated every minute of my findings and what the Holy Spirit was teaching me, because I wanted a shortcut and I wanted a bullet list on how to live this life. I hated knowing that all the pain of preparing my soul, the furnace of fire to destroy the impurities, the separation, the isolation, the life turned upside down, the emptiness and the abyss that I faced for months and the darkness that surrounded my soul in the valley of death, were just to lay the foundation of a holy life. I hated knowing that I was not further ahead.
After
I got over all of it and embraced the path that was ahead of me, I did not
pray those words spurgeon recorded below, but strangely, the Lord laid out my life in the
same way. I found myself being concerned with my daily walk and every
minute in my heart, I wanted it to glorify Him, so it was not so much my whole
life and my whole day that mattered to me, but the next minute and the next
step. At night instead of praying before I sleep and before I say good night to
the Lord, my daddy, I needed to reflect as to how my day went according to His
will and how much did I please Him today. While at first it looked tedious, but
over time, this becomes the normal way of life and you do not even notice that
this is how you live.
Spurgeon,
"Order my steps,"
We see here that David is anxious as to details.
He does not say, "Order the whole of my pilgrimage;"
he means that, but his expression is more
expressive and painstaking. He would
have each single step ordered in holiness.
He would enjoy heavenly guidance in each
minute portion of his journey towards heaven.
Much of the beauty of holiness lies in little things.
Microscopic holiness is the perfection of excellence.
If a life will bear examination in each hour of it,
it is pure indeed. Those who are not careful
about their words, and even their thoughts, will
soon grow careless concerning their more notable
actions.
Those who tolerate sin in what they think to be
little things, will soon indulge in it in greater matters.
To live by the day and to watch each
step, is the true pilgrimage method.
More lies in the careful noting of every single
act than careless minds can well imagine.
Be this then your prayer: "Lord, direct my
morning thoughts, that the step out of my
chamber into the world may be taken in your
fear. At my table keep me in your presence;
behind my counter, or in my field, or wherever
else I may be, allow me not to grieve your
Spirit by any evil. And when I come to lie
down at night, let the action (which seems
so indifferent) of casting myself upon my
pillow, be performed with a heart that loves
you; so that I shall be prepared to be with
you, if wakeful during the night.”
This brief prayer, "Order my steps,"
teaches us attention to the minutiae of life.
May we have grace to learn the lesson.
