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The steps we take in grace...

'When you let God lead—even your broken steps become part of His choreography.'  ~ jt

When The Spirit First Moved

The Spirit of God came to me at sixteen—swirling and adrift as it was, sweeping in and out like a murmuration of starlings, wheeling and darting through the pews in tight, fluid formation.

It touched me at the very moment I was most sincere—devoid of doubt, hungry for truth—filling me with the Holy Ghost and tongues of fire.

An episode of epic proportion.  Life-changing.  Biblical in its origin.

I was a product of Acts 2:38, gifted with an ‘Upper Room’ experience:

— Acts 2:38  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Now, at seventy, I stand as proof that the Word of God is alive—and I am steadfastly grateful.  My testimony stands as proof that the Word of God is not just ink on paper, it's alive and breathing.  It is after all...The Living word.

The Missteps I Can’t Ignore

That said, my life hasn’t been flawless.  It’s been full of ups and downs.  I’ve made mistakes—mistakes that led to anger and resentment.  I’ve fallen more times than I care to admit.

But those falls?  They were on me.  I leaned on emotion instead of prayer.  I let the pain of rejection eat at me.  I let the fear of failure consume me, and I walked in pride when I should have fallen prostrate before the Lord.

I focused on weariness instead of waiting for the “due season” God had promised.

— Galatians 6:9  “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” — Galatians 6:9

The truth is—God gave me everything I needed.  He never left me, but I acted like He had.  I trusted myself when I should have trusted Him.

Even Now, He’s Still With Me

I still stumble from time to time.  But you know what amazes me most?  God is still by my side—in spite of me.  God is still using me—in spite of me.  He never gave up on me.

And He’s teaching me not to give up on myself.

— 2 Timothy 2:13  “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” — 2 Timothy 2:13

Satan's Line Dance

Our Christian walk often feels like a 'country line dance'.  You take a step forward, then two steps back.

You finally gain ground...and suddenly, you're spinning in reverse again.  But that's just Satan trying to make a show out of your struggle.

Don't let the dance discourage you.  Keep stepping, keep moving and keep praising.  You may have backpedaled today...but with God, you're still moving forward.

__Proverbs 24:16  "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again..."

So if you find yourself stumbling and out of rhythm, if your spiritual line dance feels like all missteps and setbacks...remember:  God's grace is in the dance, and God's grace is sufficient.

Divine or Deceptive

I’ve learned that life has a rhythm—sometimes divine, sometimes deceptive.

The Spirit moved through me that day, with the unity of starlings—perfect in timing, beautiful in motion.  But Satan has his own kind of dance—one step forward, two steps back.  

There will be times you gain ground, only to feel yourself sliding back again.  You step forward in faith…stumble back in fear.  Advance in obedience…retreat in emotion.  It’s Satan’s line dance—and it’s always out of rhythm and off-beat.

God Never Misses a Beat

But God?  God knows the real choreography.  If you let Him lead, He’ll have you stepping forward in faith, even after every backward stumble.  So, if your walk with the Lord has felt like a dance of missteps, setbacks, and slow recoveries…

Remember: God has His own rhythm.

— Proverbs 3:5-6  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”

Or...He shall direct thy 'steps'

The Spirit doesn’t stumble.  It moves like it always has—like a murmuration of starlings: unified, fluid and alive.  When you let God lead, even the broken steps become part of His choreography.

He never misses a beat.  And neither will you.

Final Word

Don’t let your setbacks hold you back—because, they’re just Satan’s version of a line dance.

God never left you, and He never gave up on you.  Even in your weakest moments, He was still right there beside you...

And He will use you...In spite of you.

Keep stepping, keep trusting and keep praising.  You’re still in rhythm with God's grace.

~ Brother John Tarter