Three years ago the recession was in full swing and things were very tumultuous, it was looking bad and getting worse. I was very nervous one evening, so I went into the field behind my house to pray and just as I started to ask the Lord what was going on, I received a mental vision. I saw on the top of the hills to the left of me all of Satan’s angels and on the hilltop to the right were God’s angels. I knew that there was nothing really there, but it felt like there was going to be an all-out war and I was standing on ground zero!
I cried out to God and bluntly asked, “What are you going to do about this?” His answer was just as blunt, “Son, what you see is My problem, not yours. Stop looking out, but instead look down and take the next little step.”
I looked down and new the next step was to give my pastor a message, I did and it changed his life, it was a wonderful testimony in its own right. However, that simple word from the Lord about stop looking out, look down and take the next step was something that I was going to hear time and time again. In fact I really think that the Holy Spirit put it on His answering machine because every time I had a problem and needed prayer, I got the same answer. If it was finances, His response was, “Stop looking out, look down and pay the next bill.” If I needed work, it would be, “Don’t look out, look down, and take the next offer, and so on. Weeks stretched into months then years, there were some nice exceptions but most every answer was the same, “Stop looking out, look down and take the next little step. Sometimes, I felt like I was moving forward other times backwards, sometimes sideways but always it was days or weeks apart. Two steps forward, one step to the right, now just slide to the left, on and on it went. At times it was wonderful to know that my needs were being met but never more than exactly what I needed and little blessings that just got me by.
Finally I had to ask, “Lord what am I not seeing, why so many little steps, why not big ones and why such a long distance between each? The answer I got was not earth shattering but it was very dramatic, “Son, you do not have the same view point as I, you don’t see the way I see. You see the steps as distant and far apart, I do not. I see them blending together as one continuous movement. See what I see and you will understand.” Then in a split second I saw it the way He did, and a tear slid down my cheek. I removed the pauses between steps and realized it wasn’t some arbitrary exercise He was having me do, it was a dance! I was dancing with the Lord.
The greatest word that I can give is what He gave to me; stop looking out at all of the turmoil and just look down and take the next little step. One day you might find yourself dancing with God.