He delights in his way
The steps of a good man
David watches the restless striving of the wicked and sets against it a quiet confidence: the steps of a good man are established by the LORD, and he delights in his way. Not the destination only, but the steps — the ordinary, daily footfalls of a life — are being established by God.
And there is a tender phrase tucked inside it: he delights in his way. God is not merely tolerating the leader's path; he takes pleasure in it. The one who walks in step with God does not have to manufacture every footing by force. The steps are established, and the One establishing them is glad. Direction, at its deepest, is companionship with a God who delights to lead.
“Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the LORD holds him up with his hand.”
— David, of the one God upholds — Psalm 37:24 (WEB)
The steps of one who walks with God are established by God, who delights to lead. Direction, at its deepest, is companionship, not solitary striving.
“A man's steps are established by the LORD. He delights in his way.”
David rested in a God who establishes steps and delights in the way. A leader formed here stops manufacturing every footing by force and learns to walk in trust. The inner work is exchanging anxious striving for confidence that he is being led, and gladly so.
Lead from rest as well as effort. Take the next faithful step and trust God to establish it, rather than forcing the whole path into place. Let your team see a leader who is being led, not one frantically self-propelling.
Driven leaders behave as if every step depends on the strength of their own grip, and burn out trying to establish what God establishes. The blind spot is missing that the way is being secured by Another who delights in it.
Identify one path you've been straining to force. This week, take the next faithful step and deliberately entrust its establishing to God.
Leaders can exhaust themselves trying to force every footing into place, as if direction depended entirely on their grip. But the steps of one who walks with God are established by God — and he delights to do it.
Are you straining to manufacture every step, or trusting the One who establishes them and delights in your way?