The Bible has some appealing things to say about God steering our steps. This, of course, is a spectacular life-perk, since God’s future-vision is always 20/20.

A while ago I gathered verses together that spoke of this phenomenon and typed them up. Because I’ve made so many missteps, focusing on God’s lead is important to me. I pondered how I might keep these written promises in the forefront of my mind and asked God if he had any ideas.

He did:

“Before Drew lays down your tile,” he said, “write My promises on the floor. You’ll be standing on them every time you step on that slate, and I’ll remind you of what’s written beneath it.”

Drew was scheduled to start slathering mortar the next morning, so as usual, God’s timing was perfect. I magic-markered my favorite passages on the floor, claiming each word as my own. When Drew came to those verses, he balked at smearing his dark gray goop over them. Looking up at me, trowel in hand, he said, “But nobody’ll see them.”

“God sees them,” I said, “and has already activated them for me, and I’ve seen them and won’t forget they’re there.” And so he covered them.

When I was growing up at Moody Church, we frequently sang a song called “Standing on the Promises.” One of its verses goes like this:

Standing on the promises that cannot fail
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail.
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Each time I step in, over, or on that tile, I’m standing on God’s rock-solid promises made directly to me (and you, if you claim them).

One of those verses written under the tile is Psalm 119:133. “Establish my footsteps in your Word, and do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.” This includes the iniquity of running ahead of God’s lead, stepping left or right off his chosen path for me, or lagging so far behind I’m being disobedient.

I want to move when he says move and sidestep obstacles he labels as such. A life of doing this might not be flashy on the outside, but as I pace along putting my feet into God’s prescribed footsteps, it’ll feel awfully good on the inside.

The floor is finished now, a stunning sight to my stone-appreciating eyes. This particular batch of slate was cut from a cliff in India, no two tiles alike. Since the colors vary widely, Drew put them down artistically, a greenish one here, tan there, navy across the room. The result is a floor tapestry of rock reminding me of The Rock.

So from now on it’s going to be footsteps… on rocks… on rock-solid promises… that cannot fail.

“The Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls’.” (Jeremiah 6:16)