The grey asphalt with its yellow center stripe wound through the flatlands of Kansas. On our way home from vacation, we were determined to make the entire 11-hour trip in one day. But at a rest stop, God spoke through my fatigue.
“You need to stop,” he said.
“But we’re only three hours from home,” I argued. “Why stop now? We can push through and make it before midnight.” 
“You need to stop.”
Why do we bother to argue with God? It does no good, and He always knows best. In fact, wise Solomon reminded us in Proverbs 20:24, “Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord; how then can man understand his way?”
God orders our steps, but He also knows when we should stop.
We found a comfortable motel room for that one night. As my traveling companion and I lay down in our respective beds, we both sighed. Our bodies were indeed too tired to go any farther. God knew best. He also knew that we might have nodded off in the middle of the highway and struck another car. He knew a deer might charge in front of us and our tired reflexes prevent us from hitting the brakes in time. He knew we needed to stop and recharge – then proceed on our journey the next morning.
Steps and stops – both ordered by the Lord and both important to our spiritual lives.
What about you? Has God ever commanded you to stop? What did you do?