When I Consider Thy Heavens: What Is Man?

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Have you ever sat and listened to a preacher deliver a message, and after the meeting is over and you go about the rest of your evening, one particular thought follows you? It lingers in your mind, quietly working in your heart. Hours later, you still find yourself reflecting on it.

That happened to me last night after listening to a message from Brother Paul McIlvenna.

One of the points that remained with me which I felt inclined to share with you today was the question raised in Psalm 8:

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalm 8:3-4)

It is a simple question, yet it carries profound weight. There are moments in life when we pause and look upward. The busyness of the day fades, the noise of the world quiets, and our attention turns to the heavens above. The sky stretches endlessly, the moon shines in quiet brilliance, and the stars appear like countless lights scattered across the darkness.

The Psalmist experienced that same wonder when he wrote Psalm 8. As he considered the vastness of creation, he reflected on the majesty of God. Scripture reminds us that creation itself points us to the greatness of God:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (Psalm 19:1)

When we consider the immensity of the universe, humanity can seem incredibly small. The heavens stretch far beyond what our minds can comprehend. The stars are countless, and the galaxies extend into distances we cannot fully grasp.

Yet, the wonder of Psalm 8 is not the smallness of man; it is the greatness of God’s care for him. God is mindful of man. The Creator of the heavens sees every individual life. He knows our struggles, our fears, our joys, and our hopes. The Lord Jesus Himself reminded His followers of this truth when He said:

“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” – Luke 12:6-7 (KJV)

The God who set the stars in their places also knows every detail of our lives.
Even more remarkable is that God did not remain distant from humanity. In the fullness of time, He visited us. Through the Lord Jesus Christ we see the depth of God’s love and mercy toward fallen mankind.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…” John 3:16 (KJV)

The apostle Paul also reminds us:
“For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” Acts 17:28 (KJV)

So when we consider the heavens and the greatness of creation, the proper response is not despair at our smallness, but wonder at God’s grace.

The Lord of heaven knows us.
He remembers us.
He cares for us.
And because of that truth, the psalmist’s words become our own declaration of praise:

“O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9)

Mervin Fitzgerald Matthew | Steps of Purpose

Plucked From the Gutter

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Last night I listened to a message from Brother Paul Barnhardt from the USA, and one of the points he made stayed with me long after the message ended. It was a reminder that the Lord Jesus bore our sins on the cross of Calvary and as a result we were plucked from the gutters of sin.

Plucked from the Gutter of Sin

Have you ever really stopped to think about where God found you?

I am not speaking about just the polite version of your story that we sometimes tell in church or the cleaned-up testimony that sounds comfortable and respectable. I mean the real place where sin had taken hold of your life.

Have you taken time to reflect on the spiritual gutter the Lord Jesus lifted you out of?

The gutter is not a pleasant image, but it is an honest one. A gutter is a place where filth gathers, where things that are discarded end up, where water carries away what is dirty and unwanted. Spiritually speaking, that is where sin leaves humanity.

Scripture does not describe our condition as slightly misguided or temporarily off course. The Bible paints a far more serious picture.

Through the prophet Isaiah we are told:

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” – Isaiah 53:6 (KJV)

Think about that for a moment.

Every selfish decision.
Every hidden sin.
Every proud thought.
Every act of rebellion against God.

All of it placed upon Christ.

Before we came to Him, we were not standing upright waiting for a little assistance. We were down in the gutter of sin unable to cleanse ourselves, unable to lift ourselves out.

Yet the remarkable story of the gospel is that God did not leave us there.

The psalmist describes this rescue beautifully:

“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock.” – Psalm 40:2 (KJV)

That is exactly what salvation is. God reaching down into the mess of human sin and lifting broken people out.

We should never forget what it cost.

Jesus did not simply speak forgiveness from a distance. He entered our suffering. He stood in our place. He bore the punishment that our sins deserved.

Isaiah 53 reminds us:

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Those words are not poetic exaggeration. They describe a real sacrifice.

I am going to attempt to break it down a bit.

This verse is a prophecy about the suffering of the Messiah, which was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

“Wounded for our transgressions” –  He suffered because of our sins, not His own.

“Bruised for our iniquities” – He was crushed under the weight of humanity’s wrongdoing.

“The chastisement of our peace was upon him” – The punishment required for us to have peace with God fell on Him.

“With his stripes we are healed” – Through the suffering and scourging He endured, spiritual healing and restoration are made possible.

So yes, He was beaten, He was mocked and He was pierced by the hands of the very people whom He came to save.
He carried the full weight of humanity’s sin.

Now, here is a truth worth pausing to consider: At any moment, He could have stopped it.

The One who calmed storms and raised the dead had the power to end the suffering instantly. Yet, He chose to endure it and its not because He was powerless, but because of the extent of His love, He refused to leave us in the gutter of sin.

Sometimes as believers we grow familiar with the story of the cross. We hear it so often that the weight of it can fade into the background of our faith.

But today is a good day to pause…to remember where sin had taken us, and reflect on the Savior who reached down and lifted us out.

It should fuel in us yet another moment of gratitude to God for not leaving us in the gutter. We should be eternally grateful that we were raised up by the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mervin Fitzgerald Matthew | Steps of Purpose

Lessons from the life of Judas Iscariot.

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There’s something deeply sobering about the life of Judas Iscariot – not just because of how his story ends, but because of how it unfolds.

Judas walked with Jesus. He wasn’t distant. He wasn’t an outsider. He was there in the teachings, in the miracles, and in the quiet moments others would have longed to witness. He heard the words that changed lives and  saw power up close. Yet, somewhere along the way, his heart remained untouched.

That alone should cause us to pause because it reveals a truth we don’t always like to confront: proximity to the Lord Jesus is not the same as surrendering to Him.

It’s possible to be around the things of God and still not be fully yielded to Him.
What makes this even more striking is that the fact that the Lord Jesus knew ahead of time that Judas would have betrayed him…At one point He said to the disciples, “Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (John 6:70, KJV).

Yet, even knowing what Judas would eventually do, the Lord Jesus still allowed him to walk among the twelve, to hear the teaching, to witness the miracles, and to remain in that circle of grace.

Let me stop here for a moment and tell you something that one of the subscribers to this blog reminded me about this morning. It is a point in this story which speaks of the unmatched character of our Lord Jesus. I always shake my head when I reflect on this part of Judas’s story. The Lord Jesus knew the role Judas would play in the lead up to his crucifixion and do you know what He did? HE WASHED JUDAS FEET!

“Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.” – John 13:10–11 (KJV)

But wait! That’s not all. The Lord Jesus even fed him before he left to betray Him!

“Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon Iscariot.
“And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus Christ unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”  – John 13:26 – 27 (KJV)

I realised how significant this moment was when I found out what that “sop” was that the Lord Jesus gave to Judas.

I found out that sop was a piece of bread dipped in sauce or gravy which was very common in Jewish meals. What struck me was the fact that in that culture, giving someone a dipped piece of bread was often a gesture of honor or friendship. We serve an amazing God, a God who loves unconditionally. Wow!

Something I realised only today also was this – Judas didn’t fall in a single moment. His betrayal wasn’t sudden; it was the result of something that had been growing quietly beneath the surface.

Scripture gives us a glimpse into that hidden life, hinting that he had already been stealing from the money bag. In fact, John records plainly that Judas “was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein” (John 12:6, KJV).

What was concealed eventually took control, and that’s the danger. What we allow to live unchecked in private will not remain harmless. It shapes us. It directs us. Eventually, it defines our decisions.

Judas followed Jesus, but his heart was divided. He moved with the group, but he was driven by something else. Even standing in the presence of truth, he was being pulled by lesser desires.

It’s a tension that still exists today. We can serve, speak, show up, and still be inwardly led by things that have nothing to do with Christ like recognition, control, gain, or hidden compromise. From the outside, everything can look aligned. But inwardly, something is drifting.

What makes Judas’s story even more striking is that he wasn’t cut off without warning. Even in his final moments with Jesus, grace was extended. There were opportunities to turn, to respond, to step back from the path he was on.

But here’s the reality: A heart that resists conviction long enough becomes less responsive to it. The problem is not that God stops reaching, but that we stop responding.

When Judas finally faced the reality of the consequences of his actions, that is betraying the Lord Jesus, he felt remorse. There was regret but instead of turning back, he turned inward. Instead of repentance, he chose despair. That distinction matters because while remorse acknowledges wrong,  repentance seeks restoration.

The tragedy of Judas is not just that he betrayed Jesus, but that he never returned to Him. His life becomes a quiet warning to all of us, not to live on the surface of faith, not to mistake activity for intimacy, not to assume that being close means being transformed.

It invites us to look inward, to ask honest questions, and to examine not just where we stand outwardly, but what we are allowing inwardly.

The truth is, a person can walk alongside the Lord Jesus and still fail to truly know Him unless the heart is fully surrendered.

Mervin Fitzgerald Matthew | Steps of Purpose

What a Mighty God We Serve!

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Have you ever paused and considered the greatness of our God? I mean seriously….. like the way He worketh in ways we cannot see, opens doors we never imagined, and answers prayers even before we speak them? It’s mind blowing!

Truly, what a mighty God we serve!

Our God is not small. He is not limited by circumstances, time, or human understanding. He reigns over the heavens and the earth, yet He cares for the smallest details of our lives. He stilled storms, provided manna in the wilderness, and carries the burdens of those who trust in Him.

Nothing is too hard, too great, or too difficult for Him. Wow!!!

What a Mighty God we serve!!!!!!!

The Scriptures declare His power and faithfulness:

“The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all people.” – Psalm 99:2

“For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.” – Deuteronomy 10:17

“Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.” – Jeremiah 32:17

“Our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” – Psalm 115:3

His power is manifested every single day, sometimes in ways we can see, sometimes in ways we cant but He is shaping hearts, opening doors, and giving strength to continue.

The Mighty God we serve turns mourning into dancing, weakness into strength, and despair into hope. He provides for us in ways we cannot foresee, and works all things together for good to them that love Him.

Praises be to our Most High God!!!!

Today I encourage you to lift your heart in thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father. Praise Him for His mighty acts, for victories both seen and unseen, for protection, guidance, and provision. Praise Him not only for what He does, but for who He is – faithful, strong, merciful, and eternal.

And you know what? He calls you and I His children! Yes I know… its a reality which should cause joy and thanksgiving to ooze out of your very being.

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” – 1 Chronicles 16:34

“Sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.” – Psalm 96:1

“Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.” – Psalm 147:5

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped.” – Psalm 28:7

What a Mighty God We Serve!!!

No trial is too great, no fear too overwhelming, and no challenge too difficult for the God we serve. When we trust in Him, we align ourselves with the One who commands the winds, rules over nations, and redeems hearts.

“The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” – Psalm 46:7

“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” – Luke 1:37

Oh, what a mighty God we serve! His power and love were revealed on the cross, where the Lord Jesus bore our sins and conquered death. His name is worthy of all praise, for through the cross we have victory, redemption, and eternal hope. Hallelujah to the God who is mighty to save!

Let our hearts proclaim together: What a mighty God we serve!

His power is unmatched, His love unending, and His faithfulness eternal. Rejoice, and let your life bear witness to His greatness.

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.” – Psalm 145:3

Go out and have a wonderful day in the Lord today!!

Mervin Fitzgerald Matthew | Steps of Purpose

Why Do People Write Poetry?

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Thoughts on a Saturday afternoon

Have you ever thought about why people write poetry?
Why people love poetry?
Why people embrace poetry
like it were a friend they have always known?

Perhaps it is because poetry gives voice
to the thoughts that quietly live in the heart.
It gathers our questions, our hopes, and our struggles
and places them gently into words.

Sometimes a poem is born from joy –       a heart overflowing with gratitude.
Other times it rises from pain,
when the soul is searching for comfort.

Yet poetry has a beautiful way
of reminding us that our stories matter,
yes, our voices matter.
A reminder that the emotions God placed within us were never meant to stay hidden.

Even in Scripture we see poetry everywhere –
Songs, prayers, and reflections
flowing from hearts that longed for God.

As it is written,
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” – Psalm 150:6

And again,
“Sing to the Lord a new song.” –  Psalm 96:1

Perhaps that is what poetry truly is –
A new song rising from the soul.

A poem can be praise.
A poem can be prayer.
A poem can be a quiet reminder
that God is near even in the ordinary moments of life.

So if words ever begin to stir within your heart,
Do not silence them.
Write them down.

You may discover that what begins as a simple poem
becomes a small light of encouragement
Not only for yourself, but for someone else who needed those very words.

And maybe that is one of the greatest gifts of poetry:
God can use even our simplest lines
to bring hope, comfort, and truth to another soul.

For as Scripture reminds us,
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,
but that which is good for the use of edifying,
that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” –  Ephesians 4:29

Perhaps sometimes…
Grace is carried
In the quiet lines of a poem.

Just some scattered thoughts on a Saturday afternoon.

Mervin Fitzgerald Matthew | Steps of Purpose

A Heart That Follows Through: Lessons From Pharoah for Today

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Have you ever promised something with all your heart….only to fall short? Maybe you meant what you said, maybe you even felt it deeply, but when the moment passed, for whatever reason, the follow-through didn’t. That struggle isn’t new. It has been happening since ancient times, and Scripture shows us both the danger and the lesson.

Let’s take a look at Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. At first, he called for Moses, admitted wrongdoing, even made promises. He sounded sincere, he sounded willing, he even seemed ready to change, but when the pressure eased, his heart hardened again and again. Pharaoh didn’t fail because he lacked words or knowledge; he failed because his words didn’t match his actions.

That is where the lesson becomes personal: we can learn alot from his story. Let me explain.

How often do we respond to God,or even to people,with temporary enthusiasm, only to drift back once the immediate need passes? How often do our promises, our prayers, and our commitments fade when the moment of urgency has gone?

Under pressure, Pharaoh spoke differently; under pressure, many of us cry out more, pray more, feel more, promise more. But when relief comes, when life returns to “normal,” what remains? How often do we return to the old patterns, quietly letting the lessons slip away?

True faith seeks God, not just relief. True devotion is not about changing circumstances; it is about changing hearts.

Sometimes, even the smallest delay in obedience can become a dangerous pattern. Pharaoh postponed obedience; he said, “Tomorrow.” It seemed reasonable, even harmless, but delay in following God’s instructions is still disobedience. Over time, delay weakens conviction, strengthens resistance, and trains the heart to ignore God. We may start with hesitation, but repeated postponement hardens us, until what once stirred our hearts deeply begins to fade and lose urgency. Spiritual procrastination is subtle but perilous. It quietly reshapes our character without warning.

Even when Pharaoh acknowledged his wrongdoing, admitting that God was right, he hardened his heart again. Conviction without action is dangerous because awareness alone does not transform. Words without change only cement patterns of resistance, until eventually the heart grows numb to the call of God.

The greatest danger is not struggling with sin; it is reaching a place where the struggle no longer disturbs us.

And yet, even with this warning, God’s mercy shines. His faithfulness never falters. Hebrews reminds us that He is faithful to every promise. Hebrews 10:23 says “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.”

God desires sincerity, a returning heart, a life that follows through – not perfection or  empty words. Psalm 51:17 captures this beautifully: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (KJV)

So the question is not only about Pharaoh. It is about us. Are we moved in moments only, or in life? Do our words match our walk? Do we pursue God when things are calm, or only when pressure forces our attention?

Let us not leave this reflection touched but unchanged, sincere but temporary or moved but unmoved in practice. Let us instead allow our hearts to remain receptive, our obedience immediate, and our lives to follow through with the promises we make, not to others only, but most importantly, to our Father who art in Heaven.

Mervin Fitzgerald Matthew | Steps of Purpose

More Than A Sunday Smile: Living Faithfully Everyday

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Photo by Caleb Oquendo

This morning, a line from a song by Jamaican reggae artiste Lovindeer came to mind. It speaks about people who live disconnected from God during the week – selfish, impatient, or ignoring His Word, and then show up on Sunday looking the part. Lovindeer sings,“One day Christian, six days a week they doing all kinda wrong, Sunday dress up inna white, Bible in their hand. Oh Lord! Them a one day christians.”

It’s a vivid image, and it makes me pause. The fact is faith is not meant to be compartmentalized. It’s easy to give God a day, and keep the rest for ourselves. We can sing, worship, and feel moved on Sunday, yet struggle to reflect Christ in our words, decisions, and attitudes from Monday to Saturday. The truth is faith was never meant to be scheduled. It was meant to be lived.

Scripture reminds us that following Christ is a daily commitment. Luke 9:23 says, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Notice the word daily; not weekly or occasionally. Daily. Our faith is measured not just by the moments we dress up or perform, but by the consistent choices we make when no one is watching.

One of the greatest misunderstandings is thinking that God measures us by our appearances. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “…for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

Before I continue, let me ask you this: Who are you when no one is watching? Who are you when it’s inconvenient to live right?

Being a “Sunday Christian” often comes from treating faith like a performance rather than a relationship. But a relationship with God doesn’t pause after the gathering of the church; it continues in how we speak to people, handle pressure, respond to temptation, and make decisions.

James 1:22 reminds us, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only…” Faith must flow into action.

Now let me be clear – consistency also includes gathering with other believers. Hebrews 10:25 instructs us, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is….“

But we need to bear in mind that worship, fellowship, and accountability are not just weekly rituals. I read with a smile one morning a message in a WhatsApp Chat Group encouraging believers to attend a Thursday night Ministry meeting. The believer called on her fellow brothers and sisters to not only come “for coming sake”, or just because we would be expected to as believers. Her message was simple but powerful – come ready and willing to embrace the message from God’s word. Thats why we gather. We gather so that our hearts would be strengthened and we would get encouragement from the word of God to help us walk faithfully every day….Yes, Everyday!

So how do we move from being a “one day Christian” to living faithfully every day? Start with small, intentional steps. Begin each morning with prayer and reading God’s word. Pause during the day to check your attitude and actions. Reflect on your interactions. Are they rooted in love, patience, and humility? Attend gatherings of the assembly with the heart to learn, encourage, and to be encouraged. End the day with gratitude, acknowledging where God worked in your life and where you need growth. Over time, these steps transform a weekly pattern into a lifestyle of faith.

Ultimately, God desires authenticity more than performance. Sunday appearances cannot mask the choices of the other six days. When our hearts and lives align with Him consistently, faith becomes more than a habit; it becomes a natural, flowing part of who we are. Let every day reflect the love, patience, and integrity that we embrace at the Sunday service.

Being a follower of Christ is not a one-day event. It’s a daily journey. Let’s live it fully, every day.

Mervin Fitzgerald Matthew | Steps of Purpose

Nevertheless, Not My Will

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There’s a quiet strength in that word nevertheless. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t demand attention. What it does is this….it carries the weight of surrender, the kind that doesn’t come easy.

The greatest example of surrender is seen in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Lord Jesus was facing the weight of the cross, He was honest about His anguish, yet chose surrender over self:

“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”- Luke 22:42 (KJV)

It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t without struggle, but it was complete obedience. In that moment, the Lord Jesus showed us that true strength is not found in avoiding the hard path, but in trusting God enough to walk it anyway.

If we’re honest, many of us pray, we hope, and we plan. Here’s the thing though…deep down, we still want things our way – our timing, our outcome and our comfort. Surrender sounds good in theory, but when life presses in, it becomes something else entirely.

The reality is …. saying “not my will” means releasing control and you and I both know…that can be hard sometimes.
It means trusting when you don’t understand. It means letting go when you’d rather hold on. It means believing that God sees what you can’t, even when what you can see doesn’t make sense.

There’s a tension in that place. You feel it when doors close unexpectedly, or when prayers aren’t answered the way you hoped. When the path ahead feels uncertain and you’re standing there with more questions than clarity, you really feel it. That’s where “nevertheless” becomes real.

It’s not a word you say casually; it’s a decision you make deliberately.
“Lord, I don’t like this.” “Lord, I don’t understand this.” “Lord, this is not what I would choose…nevertheless, its not up to me, nevertheless you know best, nevertheless not my will but Thine be done.

In 1896, Judson W. Van DeVenter writes words which would be sung around the world for decades to come:

“I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

There’s something deeply powerful about surrendering to the Lord Jesus. It shifts your posture from resistance to trust and from anxiety to peace, not because everything suddenly makes sense, but because you’ve placed it into God’s hands.

Here is the truth: Surrender doesn’t mean you stop feeling. It doesn’t mean you ignore your desires or pretend everything is okay. It simply means you choose to trust God above your feelings.

Sometimes we think surrender is weakness. It feels like you are giving up, but in reality, it’s one of the strongest things you can do. You’re not giving up; you’re handing over. You’re saying, “God, I trust You more than I trust myself.”
That changes everything.

It changes how you walk through uncertainty. It changes how you respond to delays. It changes how you carry burdens that once felt unbearable because now, you’re not carrying them alone.

“Nevertheless… not my will” becomes a place of peace, not pressure, a place where striving ends and trusting begins.
And here’s the truth: God’s will is never designed to harm you. Even when it stretches you, even when it breaks certain expectations, it’s always working for something greater than you can see in the moment.

So today, whatever you’re facing – whether it’s a decision, a disappointment, or a delay, bring it honestly before God. Tell Him how you feel. Be real about what you want, but don’t stop there.

Surrender it all to Him – “nevertheless,
Lord its not my will but Thine be done.”

Mervin Fitzgerald Matthew |Steps of Purpose

When You Loosen Your Grip

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Photo by Matheus  Ferrero

There’s something comforting about a steering wheel; it gives you a sense of control. Your hands are set, your eyes are forward, and for a moment, it feels like everything is in your power. You decide the direction, the speed, and the turns.

If we’re honest, that’s how many of us approach life. We hold on tightly. We plan, we calculate, and we anticipate every possible outcome. We tell ourselves it’s wisdom, responsibility, and even maturity. Beneath all of that, sometimes there’s something else driving us – fear.

Fear of the unknown…. Fear of losing control…..Fear of what might happen if we let go.

Here’s the quiet truth: if you’re gripping the steering wheel too tightly, you may not be allowing God to lead. Surrender and control cannot sit in the same seat.
It’s not that planning is wrong. It’s not that being intentional with your life is a problem, but when your grip becomes so tight that there’s no room for God to redirect you, guide you, or even slow you down, then what you call control may actually be resistance.

As Proverbs reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5 (KJV)

When we lean too heavily on ourselves, we leave little room for Him.

Sometimes we say we trust God, but our actions tell a different story. We pray, but we still try to force outcomes. We ask for direction, but we only want confirmation of what we’ve already decided. We say “lead me,” but we never loosen our grip.

Real trust requires release.

Think about it – guidance only works when you allow yourself to be guided. You can’t be led if you insist on being in control of every turn. You can’t experience His direction if you never create space for it.

As it is written in Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you.” – Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)

His plans don’t require your control; they require your trust.

Letting go doesn’t mean you stop caring. It doesn’t mean you become passive or careless. It means you acknowledge that God sees what you cannot. He knows the turns ahead, the roads that are blocked, and the paths that will lead you exactly where you need to be.

As Isaiah says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” – Isaiah 55:8

There is a higher perspective at work, even when you don’t understand it and sometimes, the greatest act of faith is not moving forward, it’s loosening your grip.

It’s saying, “God, I trust You more than I trust my understanding.” It’s allowing Him to interrupt your plans without frustration to redirect your path without resistance, and to lead, even when it doesn’t make immediate sense.

We’re reminded in Psalm, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” Psalm 37:23 (KJV)

The truth is when you insist on holding the wheel, you may end up exhausted, anxious, and overwhelmed trying to control what was never yours to control in the first place.

When you release, when you truly surrender, you step into a different kind of peace, not because everything becomes clear, but because you know Who is leading. A peace that reflects what the book of Philippians describes as “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding…” (Philippians 4:7)

So yes, holding the steering wheel too tightly doesn’t give you more control. It actually makes every small bump feel bigger and every slight turn harder to manage. In the same way, gripping life too tightly can exhaust your strength and keep you from flowing with the direction God is trying to lead you in.

Take a moment today to check your grip. Are you holding on out of trust or out of fear? If it’s fear, maybe it’s time to loosen your grip… and allow our Almighty God to lead.

Mervin Fitzgerald Matthew |Steps of Purpose

Coincidence or God’s Timing?

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Have you ever had a moment that felt too precise to be random? You received a message just when you needed it or a door closed and somehow, another opened in a way you couldn’t have planned. Right at that moment you pause and wonder…
Was that just coincidence? Or Was that God?

We often use the word “coincidence” to explain what we don’t fully understand. It feels easier, more logical, and less demanding because if it’s just coincidence, then it doesn’t require anything from us – no response, no reflection, no surrender.

What if some of those moments aren’t random at all? What if they are carefully arranged and set in motion long before you ever arrived at that moment. Scripture reminds us in Ecclesiastes that “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Notice what it says – Everything,  not just some things or the big milestones. Everything is aligned within His timing, even when we don’t immediately see the beauty in it.

Yes, I am referring to that conversation you didn’t plan, the delay that frustrated you, the unexpected opportunity or even that “chance” encounter.

What if none of it was accidental? Could it be that what you’re calling coincidence is actually divine alignment? Here’s something even more sobering…

Sometimes, as believers, we pray for things earnestly, faithfully, and consistently. We ask God to move, to open doors, or to make a way.

And then He does….right in front of us but because it doesn’t look the way we expected or it doesn’t arrive with a clear label that says “ANSWERED PRAYER”… we miss it. We place it in the coincidence basket only to realize weeks or even months later…..“That was God.”That conversation was the answer. That delay was the protection. That unexpected shift was the direction we prayed for.

The truth is, God’s timing doesn’t always look obvious in the moment. It doesn’t always come with an announcement or a clear explanation. Sometimes it looks like interruption. Sometimes it feels like inconvenience. Sometimes it even comes disguised as disappointment.

But later, when you look back, you begin to see the pattern. You begin to realize that things didn’t just happen; they were positioned.As it says in Romans, “All things work together for good to those who love God.”

Yes, all things! All includes the ones that didn’t make sense at the time, the ones you questioned and yes, even the ones you almost dismissed.

Maybe that’s the shift we need to make.
A shift from seeing life as random events to recognizing the hand of God moving in ways we don’t always notice.

When you live believing everything is coincidence, you can miss the significance of the moment. However, when you begin to see through the lens of God’s timing, even the smallest details start to carry meaning.You become more attentive, more reflective and more aware that God is present not just in the extraordinary, but in the ordinary.

This doesn’t mean everything that happens may appear good immediately. Life still brings pain, confusion, and seasons that don’t make sense. But it does mean nothing is wasted. God has a way of weaving connections, delays, opportunities, and even setbacks into something purposeful.

Even when you don’t understand the process, you can trust the One who sees the full picture.

So the next time something lines up in a way you didn’t expect or something shifts, opens, or even closes, think carefully before calling it coincidence.
Look again. It just might be the very answer you’ve been praying for.

When you begin to see life that way, your perspective changes. You worry a little less, trust a little more and you become more attentive. You will soon begin to realize that nothing about your life is by chance. Our God sees and knows all things.

Mervin Fitzgerald Matthew |Steps of Purpose