Stepping Stones to the Throne

Have you ever felt as if you've lost your way? I mean, you can't really put into words what has happened to you. All you know is that things aren't the same. It's as if you are slowly drying up on the inside and you don't know when or how it all started. Life seems to have kept moving but you decided not to. I remember reading that when it comes to our spiritual walk, we are doing one of two things. We are either moving forward or falling back. There is no neutral ground.

Boy, that really did bother me because honestly, I wanted a little breather. You know what I mean? And then, I kept hearing this catchy little jingle - "You deserve a break today" - so, needless to say, I did. I took a break from working on my spiritual life. Unnoticeably to me, the moments turned into an hour, an hour turned into a day, a day into a week, and before I realized it six months had passed by. I finally realized I had fallen into what felt like a serious backslidden condition.

My mind had turned into a raging battlefield of guilt, resentments, anger, justifications, and one of my personal favorites - indifference. The things I once cared about, even had convictions over, no longer bothered me. My heart used to be so sensitive. Now it was very calloused, so much that it was almost unrecognizable to me.

Immediately, God's Word, ever faithful and always on time, began to minister to me. I heard Him say, "Break up the fallow ground of your heart and allow me to redeem back the time the enemy has stolen." His voice was so gentle, but yet firm. He was not at all the condemning, finger-shaking, personality my imagination had conjured up. Instead, I saw my Lord and myself suspended above a shallow pond. I watched him as He slowly bent down and placed before my feet a stepping stone that had writing on it. I leaned over and saw these words:

"The goodness of God leads you to repentance." Romans 2:4b  

I felt my eyes swell with tears as I looked up at Him. He very lovingly smiled at me and said, "Step here my beloved." As I lowered my foot onto the stone, He bent forward with another stone upon which read:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

I heard His tender voice speak to me again, "Step here my beloved." As I stepped onto the warm sandstone, I sensed such a cleansing and lifting of a heavy weight off of my soul. I felt so clean and free. The last stone the Lord put before me had inscribed upon it a verse that was very familiar to me, but I had lost sight of it. It was one of those commands that was simple, yet filled with such meaning:

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 3:8

I hesitated for a moment before stepping out. I closed my eyes and whispered, "Oh Lord, you know how I have failed you in this area. How will it be any different this time?"

Then I heard the Lord say, "The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. My strength is made perfect in your weakness. Now, take another step."

Copyright © Missey Butler, used with permission.