“Trust
in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.”
I
am sure this verse is in our heads, as it is on many a Christian greeting card,
but has it travelled that long distance to our hearts? Has it arrived into our
souls?
Our
way seems often weary as we tread life on earth – crooked paths, dead ends,
twisting roads, long lulls, steep hills, dry valleys… "That which is crooked
cannot be made straight," we feel along with Solomon.
God Himself sympathizes with our plight, for He humbled Himself to walk thirty-plus years
between towns and carpenter shops and homes, and ultimately to a cross, where
His weary feet were nailed in our place – “for the joy set before Him, He
endured."
Consider,
the earth which was His footstool was imprinted with His footsteps, and His
feet were imprinted with nails. He walked each step of our road of suffering, and in so doing, He
redeemed our route in every way. He detoured us from our destruction, and He opened up the
blocked way to God. And this path though narrow be, leads to wide joy
everlasting at His feet.
Following in His footsteps, let us meet the next step with a heart humble, in place of a mumble, because He
took our place that we might see His face calling us home. We must remember
that we do not roam like wanderers; we’re heading Home in wonder of His reception. We need not crumble at the cracks; we need not stumble over the steep, because “He makes our feet like the
feet of a deer; He causes us to stand on the heights.” And though we trip, we
will not slip, for when we said, "My foot is slipping," the LORD’s
unfailing love supported us. And when we feel limp and lame, we will claim,
“My feet stand on level ground.” And we will not be lost, because "the Lord shall continually guide us." And our feet are energized with purpose now, wherever they go. "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring His good news!"
No
more of this unraveling,
Get
back to this traveling – home.
No
more of this stalling,
Get
back to His calling – home.
No
more of this wandering,
Get
back to pondering – home.
No
more of this racing,
Get
back to praising – Him.
No
more of this solo riding,
Get
back to Him – guiding.
No
more of this fearing,
Get
back to revering – Him.
No
more of this reserving,
Get
back to Him – deserving,
Of all
praise, glory, and honour,
Forever
and ever, amen.
Of course, there are tests and trials along the way.
“He is the way” though! Hear His blessed words, “I will go before you, and make the crooked places straight.” Our destination is sure; our
journey is accompanied; our Companion is resilient.
Onward
and upward, in step with His Spirit, my fellow travelers. “He
knows the way we take.”
