A sandy trail is easy to follow. The grasses are worn away, the path is clearly marked, and our footsteps are sure.
We feel God is good to us, his hand of protection covers us, and we are confident in our belief in him. Of course we serve a benign and loving God. He’s always protected and guided us, hasn’t he?
Then the trees grow thick, the sun is blocked by the shroud of greenery overhead, and branches and roots block our path. We trip, we stumble, and we fall.
We pick ourselves up, now unsure. The way is grown dark, and the sandy path, once so clear and easy to find, is covered with detritus. Where has God’s guiding light gone?
God’s Word gives us six ways to steady our feet and ensure we remain on the path laid out by God.
Ephesians 4:1-3 is our call to worthiness:
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
When we treat one another with love, the path we walk becomes illuminated with light from the Father.
Romans 16:1 says to exclude no one:
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae.”
Culture often determines who we look to for Christian understanding. God says the old rules don’t apply. Our connection with God flows through each of his children.
2 Peter 3:16 encourages study of the Word.
“As he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.”
If we blindly accept what we hear from our pulpits and on our televisions, the path will soon be lost to us forever. Teachings must align with the Word.
Hebrews 4:12 says trimming the undergrowth from the trail is done best with a sharp blade.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
The darkness can be banished, and our path can be filled with light. Our weapon of choice is the Word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16 places our trust in the scriptures, for in them, we find the true nature of our holy God:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”
We can question our teachers, even our circumstances, but our rock of understanding is found in the breath of our heavenly Father. We can never question that.
2 Timothy 2:15 encourages us to be an active participant in our walk with Jesus.
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
Our path toward the Father won’t remain clear on its own. We have to man the machete, and our arm has to swing the blade. Truth is our weapon, and the Word of God is our source.
Just as in a forest, when the winter winds blow the hardest is when the light shines through most strongly. It’s the cold winds that carry the canopy of leaves away, letting the sun break through, and allowing us to find the path once again.
Our path to God is never gone, just hidden by the undergrowth. We clear our way by becoming immersed in the written Word of God.
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