The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“A man’s steps are ordained by the Lord; how then can a person understand his way?”

—Proverbs 20:24

How can we plan or make sense of our journey through life? The answer is that we can’t. Without the Word guiding us like a lamp (Psalm 119:105) and the Holy Spirit telling us whether to turn to the right or to the left (Isaiah 30:21), we’re all just aimlessly meandering through this life.

But when we follow his direction, we can be certain of the steps we take—certain they are not meaningless, certain they will accomplish good for his kingdom, and certain they are taking us to true joy, peace, and eternal hope. We can be confident that what man means for evil, God means for good even when we can’t fathom what good purpose could come of our experience (Genesis 50:20).

We cannot understand the purpose of our path in life. If I’d been in charge of where my steps had taken me, I would’ve led a very different life, yet I can look back and see God’s hand at every turn. He was guiding even when I was resistant.

As Christians, we may not understand our way as we’re on it, but we can understand and trust the infallible goodness and faithfulness of our Guide.

In Not Knowing Whither, Oswald Chambers says, “When I am going on with God in his path, I do not understand, but God does; therefore, I understand God, not his path.”

Let us seek not to understand our path, but to understand our God. Our growing confidence and belief in his goodness and love for us will give us the peace to take each step along a path we do not understand.

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