Footprints

Have you ever walked somewhere and left footprints? Maybe you wanted on the beach or maybe you walked through the living room just after it was vacuumed. You left evidence that you were there. The reason I mention this is that I read an article last week about footprints, no not the Christian poem or article that talks about two sets of footprints on a beach becoming one but an article about the footprint trails at Laetoli site G. What do you mean you don't know what I am talking about! Nerd Alert: the footprint trails at Laetoli site G were discovered showing that someone supposedly walked across volcanic mud 3.66 million years ago, leaving behind footprints discovered in modern-day Laetoli, Tanzania. So what's so earth shattering about that you ask. Scientist who think modern humans evolved only about two million years ago have resisted interpreting these as human prints, because they are found in sediments that are "too old." About 1.5 million years too old!

So what does this have to do with anything? Well it brought to mind a couple of scriptures. The first one is from Proverbs:

Proverbs 16: 9 - In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

I don't know who left these steps in Laetoli. I don't know how long ago they were left...but God does. I wonder if he did not direct these individuals to walk across this volcanic mud to show once again that He, not evolution, created man. This brings me to another verse that came to mind as I was reading the article. The verse is in Romans:

Romans 1: 18-20 - 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Because man's heart is so dark and so corrupt he will do anything he can to avoid bowing the knee to almighty God. He will turn a blind eye to the truth and chase after foolishness. Man will try to explain how the entire universe and all of creation came from nothing! He will try to figure out how to prove that man came from some lower life form.

I am not going to let Believers off the hook on this one. I have one more verse that came to mind. This one is from the book of Acts:

Acts 16: 6-10 - 6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

God still directs our steps. Just like he directed the humans to walk through the volcanic mud years and years ago he still wants to direct our steps. He is calling you and me to do what Paul and his companions did. Go...go where the Spirit is leading and directing. Go where people need to hear the Gospel. For some he may want you to leave footprints in a Sunday school class, for others he may want you to leave footprints in a homeless shelter and for yet another he may want you to leave footprints in a foreign country. The bottom line is that we are to be leaving footprints. Are you walking?