Path

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16: 11

What does this word make you think of?  For me, I have a tendency to think of the many beautiful parks that we have with paths around this part of Ohio.  Some have paths around lakes, some are trails through the woods, and some are uphill and others are just flat.  Recently my siblings and I were able to spend a rare day together, just the three of us.  We went to one of these parks.  It was a new trail for me.  I had never been there before.  It was a gorgeous day and the path was around a lake.  There was also a portion of the trail that was in a meadow and there were butterflies everywhere.  It was beautiful to say the least.  And I was so glad that someone had told my brother about this particular path.  There were multiple trails to choose from and we were able to incorporate several of these paths into our walk for the day.

We all walk different paths…

Pointing this to our Christian lives, we all walk different paths.  Some of us choose to walk the path that God has called us to walk.  That does not mean this path will be easy, or that it will be the only path we walk.  It just means that we are choosing to walk in obedience to our Father.  By the way, this is what is best for us.  The lessons learned on these paths are life changing, and cannot be learned any other way.

Others choose to pick much more difficult routes then what God had in mind.  This definitely makes their paths tricky, and sometimes very precarious.  (Little secret for you: God can use even those difficult routes that God didn’t have chosen.  He just had a better path in mind, which would have made life better for you.)

God has different paths for all of us and different paths for different seasons in our lives.  My path is not the same as anyone else’s.  And my perspective of other’s paths have a tendency to come from a viewpoint of my own path.  (Sometimes helpful, and other times definitely NOT helpful.)

Back to the day with my siblings…

Although all three of us were together walking the same path, when I think back on that day I wonder how different our descriptions of the path would be.

My brother is in pretty good shape and works out often.  Me other the other hand, well we will just say I am not as faithful to exercising as I should be.  My little sister is probably somewhere in-between my brother and I.  For me, some of those trails seemed a little steep at times.  And I definitely was tired much sooner than my brother and sister.

If I had been more prepared for the chosen path the day would have gone a little differently for me.  I would have had the strength and power I needed to get through the trails a little better.  I wouldn’t have slowed my siblings down and held them back.  They would have been able to go farther that day without having me along.

So what’s my point?

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119: 105

Being prepared for the spiritual path God has for us is so important!  If we are exercising our spiritual muscles through prayer and Bible reading, we are able to be better prepared.  If we are praying and talking to the Father throughout our days, we will know which part of the path He has designed for us.  We won’t be choosing the wrong path, and we won’t be slowing others down and holding them back. Instead,  we will be more available to encourage them on their own path and able to pray for them as God walks with them.

I am so grateful that God walks our path with us.  And I am so thankful that He pours grace over me when I make poor choices, or when I hold others back because I am not prepared the way I need to be.  (Just like my siblings were with me.)  But my desire is to be an available vessel for the Lord, and to do that, I NEED to be making preparations daily.  How about you?  Are you walking the path God has for you?   Are you preparing your heart just in case there is a steep incline in the path?  (If you aren’t walking one right now, there is one coming, so PREPARE!)