GOD’S PATHS
Proverbs
3:5-6
Trust
in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In
all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
In my younger years, I enjoyed
hiking in a Southwestern Virginia state park when our family went on summer
vacation. Park rangers led interested hikers on a number of scenic foot trails
several days during the week. One time I went with a newly made friend on the
Bear Falls Trail, a rough 4.2 mile trek that demanded participants to be in top
physical shape. There were steep climbs, narrow passages and swift temperature
changes associated with this path. It was not for the faint of heart.
I distinctly remember that day how
two rangers led us on the journey. While one knew the trails implicitly, the
other was starting his first day as a new employee. He had never been on the
trail, but acted with confident arrogance as if “he knew it all”. Shortly into
the journey, it became clear that a conflict of interest was surfacing. Were we
going to trust a seasoned veteran, or this young whippersnapper oozing with
pride?
Soon a choice was presented to our
group. Our team could go with the young fellow on a newer path while the
remaining number could stay with the other guide on the traditional slopes. To
our surprise, more than half went with the new guide; however my friend and I
chose experience over youth. That paid for itself in the end as our team saw
more scenic sites and, more importantly, got back to the lodge on time while
the other team got lost and didn’t return until after dark.
We learned an important lesson that
day. Many trails mark our journey in life. Some are steep and filled with challenge.
But the key to a successful trip lies in the guide. Christ offers us his
direction through God’s paths. Will you acknowledge him?
