Impact - Day 11

Day 11 – The Next Square
Deuteronomy 11:24 Wherever you set foot, that land will be yours.

If I’m honest, God’s bold proclamation to Moses and later to Joshua frightens me a bit. It sounds like God is suggesting I can do anything. “Wherever I set my foot…” Does that include every board room and job interest? Do I get to have every relationship I desire? Does this carry to the basketball court and every business venture? Seriously, that’s a lot of pressure. And it also sounds a lot like a prosperity gospel infomercial. But the specific metaphor is helpful here.

The great news is your foot can only reach one of your stride lengths at a time. If you’ve been spiritually stagnant or hesitant to move in your relationship with Jesus, He isn’t asking you to walk as fast as He can. He desires you to lay claim to the next closest square foot. If He has a long distance for you to travel, that’s a conversation for tomorrow. Today, move your foot.

There is a second blessing in the metaphor. He challenges you to move YOUR foot. Where the previous point considered the pace of change, this second speaks to your uniqueness. It is your foot He wants to move. It is your stride length, gate, and footprint in the sand. Jesus calls you to make an impact that only your footfall can make.

The risky miracle of God’s plan to spread His love across this world is that there are some square feet right next to you that no one else can reach. He invites you to step out and step up in faith, knowing He has already given you the place to stand. You are not asked to walk like someone else or take the shape of another person’s foot. This means your distinctive talents, interests, and experiences all come into play. He uses outgoing people and introverts, every hobby you love, every skill you’ve developed, and passion you feel. The specific experiences of your past, even the painful ones, become the colors God uses to decorate an untouched space with His love.

So move your foot to one adjacent square and step into the miracle God has prepared.

1. What are the typical ways others describe you? What does that suggest about the best ways you impact others?
2. Who are the people that live and work closest to you? Pick one to pray for over the next seven days and listen to hear something God invites you to consider.
3. What is a talent you especially enjoy using? How could God involve that talent in what He calls you into next?