Paths In Life
What path are you on?
We went on a bike ride the other day. Not your typical,
down-the-side-of-the-road bike ride, but a bike ride that took us through the
palms, past the armadillos and over fallen trees. It started off easy enough on
a wide, grassy road, but when that road came to a dead end, the path it led to
was only for the adventurous who were willing to follow the reddish ribbons tied
to various trees along the way. No one knew how far this new path would take us,
or even if we would be finished before the setting sun left us completely in the
dark with miles left to go. "She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t
even realize where it leads." (Proverbs 5:6)
I guess if we had gotten completely lost, we could have used our cell-phones and called for help--telling them we were somewhere in the swamps of Florida on bikes, could you please come and rescue us? I guess, but the question really was, was this path a wise choice? While riding it, we didn’t know for sure
"I will not answer when they cry for help.
Even though they anxiously search for me,
they will not find me. For they hated knowledge
and chose not to fear the LORD. They rejected my
advice and paid no attention when I corrected them.
That is why they must eat the bitter fruit of living
their own way. They must experience the full terror
of the path they have chosen."
Proverbs 1:28-31
I can’t say there was "terror" on this bike path. It certainly had its challenges and if we stopped for any time at all, the mosquitoes had us for dinner--but there was no terror. Was it a wise choice? Probably not. One good fall and it could have put a stop to any further progress. One flat tire, and it could have been a long walk back to "civilization." One missed reddish ribbon, and we could have wandered around for hours looking for the next one--but, it was the path we had chosen, and once on it, it required completion by all those involved.
It made me think of those competitions I’ve seen on TV where four people must compete for many days and over hundreds of miles—they bike, they walk, they run, they swim, they row, whatever is required, they do it. Four people, at least one being a woman, make their way through many challenging situations to see who can get to the finish line first. Many don’t make it, many are injured and only one team comes out a winner in the end. Actually, any team that is able to finish is a "winner," just for completing something so horrendous.
I laugh; because I was comparing our simple ride through the swamps of Florida to one of these races, but maybe it is as close as some of us will come to such a competition. Maybe it’s as close as we’d want to come!
In life, we see so many off the beaten path. So many who have chosen a very difficult way to live life as they make dangerous detours that could lead to bodily harm or death, or maybe a veering off of the road that leads to eternal life as they "walk down dark and evil paths." (Proverbs 2:13) Sometimes it is a choice we make, sometimes it is the choice of someone we love, sometimes it is a complete stranger making the choice whose life is displayed before us on a TV screen. Many times, others decisions won’t directly affect us, but when they do, it seems to darken our world and make us wonder about the sanity of it all.
Why do we sometimes choose things that we know will harm us? Why do we sometimes say things that are poisonous to our souls and the souls of others? Why do we sometimes ingest or inject or inhale poisonous substances into the body God gave us when we know that our body is His temple? (1 Corinthians 6:19) Why do we choose to go down paths that are unknown, dangerous and very dark when it is not wise for us to do so?
For the LORD sees clearly what a man does,
examining every path he takes. An evil man is
held captive by his own sins; they are ropes
that catch and hold him. He will die for lack
of self-control; he will be lost because of
his incredible folly.
Proverbs 5:21-23
In our folly down our bike path, there were many pitfalls. There were trees
that had fallen in our way that had to be walked over or around, there were dips
and branches and low hanging palms that made the going that much rougher. God
was watching, and maybe He was even smiling at our folly because it was a simple
folly that was not full of danger but rather a silly choice that could have
caused a problem or two along the way.
God is watching each path we take in life, but He is not always smiling because the choices we make are not always so simply resolved. As long as we kept riding, as long as we kept following reddish ribbons tied on trees to guide us along, we would eventually arrive back into civilization unscathed, no worse for the wear—but not all "paths" are so simply resolved.
Sometimes our paths cost us our marriages, our jobs, our health, our homes, or even our lives. Sometimes they are not so easily escaped from before great harm has been done and reversal seems impossible. Sometimes they will take us to our very lowest point, only to discover that we have nothing left but God’s love to see us through. Maybe only then do we realize that if God does not shine His light on us, we will never find our way back to "civilization" again. We have chosen unwisely, and only the wisdom of God can save us at that moment in time.
When a bird sees a trap being set, it stays away.
But not these people! They set an ambush for
themselves; they booby-trap their own lives!
Proverbs 1:17-18
There are so many things out there that the enemy uses to ambush us. So many
temptations that can destroy our lives if we are not aware of the path we are
choosing. Sometimes the path seems okay at first, not so dangerous, not so dark,
but the farther we venture down it, the more scary it becomes. The deeper the
pits, the larger the fallen trees, until there is no way around. Our lives have
been blocked by something we never expected and we wonder where to go from
there?
My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions.
Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.
Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them as you
would for lost money or hidden treasure. Then you will
understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will
gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom!
Proverbs 1:1-6
When we are lost deep in the jungles of life, when we have chosen the wrong path and long to have some wisdom or insight on which way we should turn to escape the darkness, God urges us to call out to Him.
He will grant us wisdom!
He will help us find our way back home!
He will not leave us nor forsake us in our time of need!
As we rode through the "jungles" of Florida and the mosquitoes were just itching to get us itching, I wasn’t so sure we had made the right choice about the path we were on. I am not experienced in cross-country bike riding and if not for the fact that we were following our friends who live here, I might have been quite uncomfortable being there. But, having a "guide" who lives here, not being alone and having our cell-phones made our situation much less precarious.
Life is not quite so simple. The choices we make, we usually make alone, even though they most always affect those around us. When we "go down," we may go down alone, but there is sadness in our wake, and hurts that last for way too long in those around us. We need to think about these things when we choose our paths. We need to think ahead about the effects it will have, not just for today but also for many years to come. We need to consider the risks and the consequences before we head down a path that seems to take us farther and farther away from the direction God would desire for our lives.
Follow the steps of good men instead,
and stay on the paths of the righteous.
Proverbs 2:20
We are never really alone though, because no matter which path we choose, it has already been chosen by someone before us. No matter what we experience in this life, we are not the first, and we will not be the last unless Jesus comes back today. Others have gone before us and others can tell us where it leads if we will only ask them, just as somebody went before us and tied those reddish ribbons to the trees!
As we attended a wonderful church service this morning in a beach house here in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the minister talked about this very thing. He wanted those in attendance to know that whatever they were going through, whatever hardship, whatever trial, whatever temptation, they were not alone--others in this small church had experienced similar things in life and they were here to put an arm around those that needed it and help them through it.
We don’t walk this earth alone. We are surrounded by others who have been where we are now. We are surrounded by others who are going through what we have been through. We are here to work together and to learn from each other and from God.
He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly.
He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity.
He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to him.
Proverbs 1:7-8
God never leaves us to wander around lost and afraid. He may allow us to veer off the better road for a while as we choose paths that lead us into many precarious situations, but down those paths we can learn many valuable lessons from the trials we will endure if we are wise. There is not one person on this earth who hasn’t wandered from the perfect path of God except for Jesus Christ. He was the only perfect Person to ever walk the face of this earth, and there will never be another Person like Him again.
God warns us:
Do not do as the wicked do or follow the path of evildoers.
Avoid their haunts. Turn away and go somewhere else, for
evil people cannot sleep until they have done their evil deed for the day.
Proverbs 4:14-15
The way of this world will always be treacherous. There are many things that are best to be avoided. There are many times when we have to turn and go somewhere else before we get trapped ourselves.
Following someone down a chosen path in life can lead to destruction. If we had not been with trusted friends winding our way through the "jungles" of Florida, we would have been questioning this decision a lot more than we were.
The way of the righteous is like the first
gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter
until the full light of day.
Proverbs 4:18
If we had been stuck overnight down the bike path we had chosen, nothing would have been more welcome than the first gleam of dawn. Mosquito bitten, hungry and damp from the moist air, we would have welcomed a new day as never before. We would have been searching for the way out as soon as the sun came up, happy to be free from the path that had ensnared us for too long.
Happy is the person who finds wisdom and understanding.
For the profit of wisdom is better than silver, and her
wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than
rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers
you life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left.
She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying.
Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are
those who hold her tightly.
Proverbs 3:13-19
Choosing the wise path in life is delightful.
Choosing the wrong path can make life miserable.
As we and our friends made our way back out of the "jungle" and onto the
wide, grassy road again, my friend commented, "It’s feels good to be on the
hard road again." I laughed at the lesson God was teaching us that day. The
"hard road" of life felt good after having come off the treacherous path we
had chosen for the last hour or so.
Life seems so very hard at times, and that’s because it is. Even normal life can stretch our emotions, make us reel from the frustrations, cause us to complain and moan about the things we must do…but heading down the wrong path and finding out just how difficult life can really get when we are not following God’s will for our lives can make us grateful for the normal hardships we must face in our every day. That is not to say we are out of God’s will when terrible things happen that are out of our control, only to say that so many trials and tribulations can be avoided when we are seeking His will each and every day we live.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he will
direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
God will direct us, if we will only seek Him above all else. He will be our Guide, and we can trust Him completely with our lives. He will not lead us astray. We will not be caught off guard. We will not be lost in the "jungle" of life not knowing which way to turn. The path may be "hard" but the way is sure when eternity is our focus--we need not fear the darkness or the difficulty.
Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes
on what lies before you. Mark out a
straight path for your feet; then stick to the
path and stay safe. Don’t get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil.
Proverbs 4:25-27
There was only one way out of the "jungle" we found ourselves in on our
bike ride—keep pedaling and "fix our eyes" on those reddish ribbons.
"Stick to the path" and "don’t get sidetracked."
There is only one way out of the "jungle" of life. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, fixing our eyes on our Savior and the Hope that He has left us with. Choose the narrow path that leads us Home, and don’t get sidetracked with the evil things of this world along the way. It won’t always be easy, it’s a hard road sometimes, but:
Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
and you will know how to find the right course of
action every time. For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise planning
will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.
Proverbs 2:9-11
Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.
Proverbs 4:23
Seeking His path in life,
Diane
