“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”
— Proverbs 16:9
From the moment we’re old enough to talk, the world starts asking: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
We’re encouraged to dream, map out our futures, and follow the “right steps” to get there. But no one tells us that our lives might end up looking nothing like we imagined. No one prepares us for plans that fall apart, goals that shift, or roads that suddenly divert in unexpected directions.
We forget to make room for the adjustments God may place in front of us. We forget that the One who created us might also have a different route for us to take. And often, change feels more like a threat than an invitation.
When Change Feels Like a Threat
For those of us with anxiety, change can feel terrifying.
We like predictability. We like control. We like to know what’s coming next. So, if we can’t foresee the future, our anxiety tells us we’re in danger… But in reality, we never truly know what’s ahead.
So if we will NEVER know the future, why do we continue to live with anxiety and fear of it? Those of us with anxiety have to come back to reality, assess our fears and worries, and then continue forward, because the world will not stop for us.
Thus, all we can do is make the best decisions we can — and then God will determine our steps. For only He sees what’s ahead.
Creation Embraces Change — Why Don’t We?
The leaves on the trees embrace every season without a whisper of doubt. They let go when it’s time to let go. They bloom when it’s time to bloom. They trust the rhythm they were created for.
If creation can trust the One who designed it, why can’t we?
When Life Changes Without Your Permission
Sometimes change knocks softly. Other times it kicks down the door:
- You lose the job.
- You don’t get the answer you wanted.
- Someone walks out of your life.
- You lose a loved one.
These moments shake us because they remind us how little we can control. But remember this: Don’t allow things you can’t control to control you.
When your peace depends on circumstances, anxiety sneaks in. Depression slips through the cracks. But when your peace depends on God, you become anchored — even when everything around you shifts.
The Purpose in the Detours
If the Lord is determining our steps, then even the detours have purpose.
You may not see the reason at first. You may never see it fully. But if you look with intention — through a lens of growth instead of fear — the lessons eventually reveal themselves… Or God finally decides to be gracious and let you in on the secret.
Ultimately, our Father in Heaven just wants us to know that we can depend on Him; for He determines our steps. He wants us to know that our lives are in His hands and that we were created for His glory and honour, not our own. So He detours us whenever He sees us going the wrong way: for He – and only He – can see the future.
When one path ends, another always emerges.
Give Yourself Wiggle Room
We often make plans with zero room for interruption, disappointment, or divine redirection. But life isn’t perfect — and that’s what makes it beautiful. It’s unpredictable. Messy. Hard. And full of obstacles we never planned for.
But if we give ourselves wiggle room within our plans, we won’t be so thrown off when the obstacles do come and shift our steps.
“May Heavenly things constantly interrupt our earthly things.”
Some people even pray for interruptions from God within their lives. Since He is Lord over all, it’s a pretty miraculous thing when He comes in and changes your steps. So, be that kind of person. Don’t let anxiety rule you; let God rule you.
A Final Prayer for Your Journey
I pray you find peace in the things you cannot control.
I pray you leave room for God to redirect your steps.
I pray you trust the road He has you on — even the parts that don’t make sense yet, or perhaps never will.
There will always be unknowns. There will always be questions without answers. But there will also always be the One who goes before you.
May you walk with open hands, trusting that the God who guides your steps knows exactly where He’s taking you.