Out in Wyoming’s sagebrush, a rabbit sits upright with its ears raised while the sun lifts over the far hills. It is not going anywhere yet. It is simply alert, taking in the morning before its first move. This short prayer asks for that same kind of pace: to take the day one step at a time, with patience when plans shift and gentleness when we are worn out.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”
Psalm 37:23 (KJV)
The psalm speaks of steps, not leaps. God’s care reaches the ordinary movements of a life, the small turns and short distances that make up most days. The next verse adds that a stumble does not have to become a collapse, because the Lord upholds the one who falls. Being ordered by God does not mean never tripping; it means never being let go.
Plans change, and tiredness can make our words sharper than we mean them to be. Asking for patience and gentle speech is a modest prayer, but it covers a great deal of a real day. One faithful step, then the next, is often all that is being asked of us.