Proverbs 20:24 says, “A man’s steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way?” God’s control of our lives is beyond human comprehension. This proverb asks a rhetorical question regarding this topic: since the steps of a mighty person are from the Lord — how, then, can anyone discern or “understand” his way? How can we delude ourselves into thinking that we don’t need the Lord when even a strong person’s activities are divinely prepared?
One way that we understand our “steps” is to recognize God’s authority. God communicates His will to man in a very simple, logical way. God uses commands (Mark 16:15), examples (John 13:15) and necessary inferences (Matthew 22:32). Jesus illustrated these three methods in John 13:34-35. These are simple ways to understand God’s will, not the tradition of men.
Another way that we understand our “steps” is to, after we have learned what to do, choose to do right. This choice will always involve us loving the Lord: “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your sou, and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37). No one will follow someone they don’t love.
If you decide to follow the Lord, it’ll involve hearing (John 5:25; 3:16), repentance (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30), confession (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9-10), and baptism (Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). After baptism, someone can’t do as they please, thinking that they’re permanently saved. Someone has to continue to be faithful to the Lord in His service and in His worship (1 Timothy 6:17-18; Galatians 6:10; John 4:24).
Kyle Campbell