Jump Start # 3177

Psalms 37:23 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delight in his way.”

A good man has walked among us. He touched our hearts with his kindness. His smile was infectious. His handshake was strong. He was a big man in stature and size. He was a bigger man in faith and love. I have known him for nearly twenty–five years. For ten of those years I worshipped with him and was guided by his tender counsel. He was a friend to my family. A veteran of the Korean War, distinguished as one the Presidential honor guard, his image was used on billboards across the country to encourage others to enlist and serve.

The memories of this good man run rich and deep within my heart. The stories are many. He was amazed at how many boxes of books I had when I moved them into the office at the church building long ago. He’d look at all those boxes and say, “Preacher, you better keep those boxes,” implying that I may have to fill them back up again and move. But he couldn’t say that, without a smile on his face. He and I knew of a secret blackberry patch out behind the church building that we shared with each other. We’d bring each other cinnamon rolls that were nearly as large as a hubcap. He and his lovely wife became adoptive grandparents to my children, even visiting the school in that role. We went on a field trip out into Missouri looking for the grave of some long ago preacher that I was interested in. He would take my younger sons out to get a frosty root beer and he would tell them war stories. I wasn’t invited. He wanted to be just with the boys. And, what a wonderful and delightful impression he left upon them. He had a voice that was rich and deep that he’d use to lead the congregation in singing praises to our Lord. He was a hunter. He was a wood carver. I have in a china cabinet at home an image he carved of me. Late in life, his memory and mind left him and it was so hard for those who cared so much for him and loved him so dearly to struggle with this. And, now the Lord has called him home. The door of death swung open and this gentle giant, this kind believer, was welcomed into the presence of God.

There are many people that run through our lives. The Lord allows us to intersect with all kinds of people and every once in a while, not very often, one of those crossings and intersections sticks with you. It did for my family. The joys, love, faith and laughter that we shared and enjoyed with this good man will long be part of our family heritage. We met and we were made the better because of that.

Let me share some lessons:

First, crossing two generations, this wonderful soul became a friend to my boys. It is so easy for us to only associate with those within our age group. No one asked him to befriend my children. But he did and he shared his life, his stories and his faith and left a lasting impression upon them. For those of us that are blessed to serve in the kingdom as shepherds or preachers, we may well be the first impression that many of the younger ones have of elders and preachers. Make it a good one. Get down on your knees and speak to them at their level. Let them know that you notice them and that you think the world of them. Be a friend that crosses the lines of generations. I’m somewhat envious of my sons. I wish at their age I had someone outside of the family, a man of faith, that would have paid attention to me and someone I could talk to. What a blessing this was. What a blessing he was.

Second, it’s not by accident, DNA, or luck that our dear friend was the way he was. Our verse explains it. The steps of a good man are ordered, outlined, detailed, drawn by the Lord. His kindness came from the Lord. His thoughtfulness came from the Lord. When one walks with the Lord, especially for a long, long time, the Lord tends to polish our character and change our hearts. And, thus it was for this man. His journey with Jesus was decades long. He served in the kingdom in a variety of ways, including shepherding the people of God. And, one becomes this way by wearing that Bible out. I’ve seen my friend’s Bible. Marked. Underlined. Worn pages. He was one who knew the Lord. He was a friend of God.

Third, when one walks so closely to the Lord, the footsteps are easy to follow. Thus it is with my friend. His children walk with the Lord. His grandchildren walk with the Lord. Others have said, it was because of him, that they have chosen to follow Jesus. The inheritance of faith, love and goodness stretches across our hearts. Long will this man be remembered, not just by his dear family, but by those who saw, as we have, that a good man, a righteous man, has been among us. His kind is rare these days. One who thinks of others before self. One who takes the teachings of the Lord and lives them in such a way that it makes Christianity practical, obtainable, attractive and even enjoyable.

There are times in life when one wishes that they could just push the pause button and remain in that season for a long, long time. But life is not like that. Life is very fluid, changing often. People come and people go. People move on. People pass away. Things are always changing. Puppies grow up to be old dogs. Little trees grow into mighty oaks. We get older. The river of life moves on. More things to be done. More places to go. More people to meet. But among God’s people, when a righteous man has walked through our lives and our hearts, we are not soon to ever forget. An impression is left. A significant marker and milestone is placed. A good man has been among us.

Lord, I am thankful for my sweet friend, Don Nolte. A journey completed. A faith kept. A battle won. A good man, whose steps were ordered by Lord. Thank you. Thank you for him. Thank you for putting us in the same place. Thank you for his sweet kindness, his love and his faithfulness to You. Bless his dear, dear wife, Faye, his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Bless all those who called him friend.

May we never be too busy for each other, even those younger than we are. May we never forget the power of impressions and influence that we have upon one another. May we live for You dear Lord, knowing that as we do, our hearts and character are being shaped by You.

A good man has been among us. A good man will not be forgotten. A good man has made us better. Rest sweetly dear friend, your mind is now strong, your faith is now realized and into the eyes of our dear Savior you now see.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Don Nolte was one of those good ones.

Roger

Jump Start # 1954

Psalms 37:23 “The steps of a man are established by the Lord; and He delights in his ways.”

The King James Version adds a word in this passage. I believe the word is necessary and defines an important thought for us. In the KJV, the passage reads, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord…” It’s not any man or every man, but a good man. The ending of this verse helps us to see that. There it says, “He delights in his ways.” He and his. It’s important to know who the He is and who the his is. He is God. His, is the good man. God delights in the steps of a good man. God doesn’t delight in the steps of every man. Some steps are in sin. Some steps are in the opposite direction of the Lord. God delights in righteousness. The steps of a good man are the steps laid out by the Lord. They are “established,” or, “ordered,” by the Lord.

Many powerful thoughts for us:

First, there is a way that God wants us to walk in. There are steps to be taken. This journey is illustrated throughout the Bible. We are to walk by faith. We are to walk in the light. We are to imitate God. We are to be perfect as He is perfect. We are forgive as He has forgiven us. We are conformed to the image of Jesus. He leads us to green pastures and calm waters. He leads, we follow. God has not left us on our own to find Him. We probably couldn’t do it on our own. The life that God wants us to live is not fluid, changing and evolving. It’s not different for each person. It’s not different for each generation. The steps of a good man are established by the Lord. They are set. God has determined this way. I am the Way, Jesus said. It’s a matter of following the Lord. It comes down to obeying the Lord. My form of Christianity shouldn’t be any different than yours. Saying, “I believe differently than you do,” is no ok. It’s not my way nor your way. It’s not how I see it or how you see it. It’s not how I think it ought to be, nor, how you think it ought to be. God has established a path and we are to follow that. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. They are established. The path has been made. God made it. We are not trail blazers for the Lord. We are not cutting new roads in the wilderness, as the pioneers did. We are following what is already there. We are following the Lord.

Second, the basis of being good is following the Lord. We miss that today. We call anyone who is nice to us, “good.” He’s a good neighbor. He’s a good friend. He’s a good person. Our definition of goodness is kindness, niceness and has very little to do with faith and God. People are called “good,” who never go to worship. And, so, in their thinking, How could God send good people to Hell? That’s troubling for them. It doesn’t make sense to them. But they have begun with an assumption that doesn’t stand. They are calling people “good” who are not following the Lord. They are not walking in the way that God has established. We call them “good,” but does God? As our verse ends, does God delight in those who are lawless or indifferent to Him. They may want to worship God, but it’s the way that they want to worship. They may want to do things that God doesn’t like. They are not content to walk on the path that God established. Goodness is for those who bring God delight. This is done by walking in the way God has established. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

Third, the steps of a good man, one who is walking with the Lord, leaves footprints for others to follow. This is important to me. You and I are leaving impressions, examples and footprints for others. I knew a man who left one congregation for another one. He had worshipped at the first congregation for several years. He left. He wasn’t happy. Knowing this person and knowing that church, I ask, “What good did he do while he was there?” What impressions did he leave? How did he help the church? And the answer to those questions are “nothing.” He brought nothing. He added nothing. He did nothing. He never got involved. He never had folks in his home. He never invited others. He came once in a while when he felt like it. He never got close or connected to others. His leaving wasn’t a surprise, and what’s worse, his departure wasn’t felt. He, like the one talent man in Matthew 25, did nothing.

That is concerning and disturbing to me. One doesn’t have to do public things to leave footprints of encouragement, hope and love. One ought to be missed when they are no longer there. Some have the concept of worship, like going to a movie. I pay to go to a movie. I hope no one sits next to me. When I’m done, I leave and I don’t talk to anyone. I’m there just for the movie. I have been to some movies where I am the only one in the entire room. That’s not the way worship should be. That’s not our view of church. We connect. We give. We share. We serve. We help. We leave footprints. We leave examples.

The good man who has been walking with the Lord not only brings delight to God, as our passage says, but he has left footprints for others to follow. People will know that a good man has been here. Some can just light up a congregation by their warm and infectious smiles and hugs. Some are that solid rock. They are calm when everyone else is unsure. They always seem to know the right passage and say it in the right way. Others lead. They are very visible. Some are the backbone. Steady. Sure. Faithful. But all of these folks, are walking in the ways of the Lord. All of them have mastered that concept of being a servant. All of them are leaving footprints. One could tell that a good man has been here.

That brings us to us. Am I living that way? Do I have the connections, the influence and the heart that others see the footprints I am leaving? Or, is it possible, I could leave and someone would ask, “What did he ever do for the church?”

Finally, the steps of a good man brings joy to God. Here is a man who sees through the clutter of the world and the call to be unique, different and selfish, and he simply follows the steps of the Lord. Where the steps of the Lord take him, is where he will go. He follows the Lord. His steps are established. His steps are ordered. This journey not only pleases God, but it adds value and hope to a broken world. This journey ends not at death, but in the presence of God. Here is a person who the Lord says, “Well, done.” Here is one, like Paul, who finishes the course and keeps the faith. More money could have been made had he been dishonest. But he chose to walk with the Lord. He could have spent his Sundays on the golf course or out boating, but he chose to spend it with God’s people in worship of the Lord. He has not promoted himself. He has not closed his heart to others. He has opened his home, his wallet, his schedule and his heart for others. He has put the kingdom before himself. He has followed the Lord. His life has not been perfect nor without mistakes and sins. But he tries with all that is in him to please the Lord. More than anything else, he wants to be in Heaven with God.

God delights in such a good man. He has decided to follow the Lord. What a wonderful life that has been. He has been blessed. And, when he leaves this place, his departure will be noticed and felt by other good people. The ways of the Lord are right and he has given his life to please the Lord.

The steps of a good man…

Roger

Jump  Start # 711

Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

The steps of a good man—what a great expression that is! One of the oft used words in the Bible to describe our relationship with God is “walk.” Walk worthy (Eph 4:1); walk in love (Eph 5:1); be careful how you walk (Eph 5:15); walk in the newness of life (Rom 6:4); walking in the light (1 JN 1:7). Walking is all about taking steps. The more steps you take the farther you go.

Steps are a big part of our life. A baby’s first steps thrills young parents. The walk across the stage to receive a diploma is a milestone in life. The bride walking down the aisle to get married is a precious scene. Neil Armstrong is remembered for being the first human to step upon the moon. In baseball, the difference from a running being safe or out is often just a step. In football, a great play is often called back because the receiver stepped on the out of bound line. A person going back to school to get their masters degree is considered a big step.

Steps—our verse is talking about the steps of a good man. Those steps are ordered or defined by God. He is a good man because he walks in the Lord. His steps follows the Lord.

The steps of a good man will take him to Heaven. This happens not because he is good as we use the word, meaning nice, easy to talk to, helpful, but as the Bible uses the word, meaning he follows God. There are very few people called “good” in the Bible. It wasn’t a compliment that God tossed out often. To be good, was to be faithful and true to God. His steps re thought out. They are not careless, nor reckless. His steps will lead him to Heaven because he follows the footprints of Jesus.

The steps of a good man will leave a trail that others can follow. That is one of the thoughts in this passage. Not only did the good man please the Lord, but those who follow in those same steps, will do the same. His footprints will help others. They will not have to make the same mistakes that he did. If they look carefully for the footprints they will recognize which direction they ought to go. These steps are on a well traveled path. The righteous of a many generations have gone this same way. In some places, the trail of buffalos, or wagon trains, can still be seen in the ground. Many traveled that way. The same is true of God’s people spiritually. They travel the same path. The steps are the steps of others such as, Abraham, Daniel, Paul, and especially our Lord.

The steps of a good man involve more than just one step. Anyone can stick a bit toe in the water, that’s not the same as swimming. Taking one step is not difficult. Taking many steps, staying on the path, completing the course, finishing the race—that’s what this is all about. Sunday is the easiest day to be a Christian. Worship services…other Christians…hymns…prayers…smiles…reading of God’s word…hugs. What’s hard is when you are alone. What’s hard is when the path leads up a hill. What’s hard is when the path takes you through the valley of the shadow of death. It’s more than one step. It’s stepping every day. It’s staying with it when it is hot. It’s staying with it when you’re tired. One step, in anything is pretty easy. One step cooking is not too bad. Multiple steps—a journey, that determines what we are made of.

The steps of a good man…do you know some strong Christians? Spiritual giants? Leaders in God’s kingdom? Notice their steps. You’ll see some things. They start the day with prayer. They open the book every day—even those busy days they have. They are at worship all the time. Their minds and eyes are on the things spiritual. Their words and choices reflect that. Those steps are what made them strong. They have connected with God and stayed that way. Notice their path and try to follow that. You’ll see after a while, that as you are following the steps of a good man, someone will be a few steps behind you, following your steps. That’s how the journey works.

The steps of a good man…he’s walking right now. Do you notice?

Roger