“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 NLT)
Security on our journey with the Lord Jesus grows out of trust in the One who is leading us. To waver in our trust or become distracted by the lights and glamor of this world can cause us to lose our way. Or when sin becomes a greater attraction than being faithful or when sorrows or hardship drain us of hope it’s easy to lose our way. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for a child of God to stumble and fall. The issue isn’t whether we struggle, the only issue is, how will we respond?
What I’m learning on my long journey with the Lord is to never stop getting up. It’s not the falling that kills our faith, it’s the staying down. It’s not losing our way but losing touch with the One who can light our path.
Ron Hutchcraft tells an interesting story to our point. “Allison and her daughter and two friends were out for a trail ride in a remote area. They were to rendezvous later, actually, in the afternoon with other family members at their overnight campsite. When it came time to head back, they were somewhere on the side of a mountain, picking their way through very rocky ground. No matter which way they went, they couldn’t find the main trail that would take them back down the mountain. They could see where they needed to be, but the terrain was too rugged to get down any other way.
The hours wore on, dark began to fall, and Allison’s two friends finally made an attempt to get to a cabin they could see. Well after dark, Allison and her daughter finally saw flashlights moving up the mountain. Her friends returned with the man from that cabin. He helped them pick their way to a point where they could actually get right back on the trail. Much to their surprise, while they had been lost, they had been very close to the trail all along!”
Have you lost your way? Perhaps you’re much closer to the right path than you think, but you’ve lost sight of the “light” of Jesus and/or those with whom you were traveling on your spiritual journey. Sometimes a misunderstanding, angry words, or a thoughtless comment can send us off our path and cause us to lose our way. Rather than continue to stumble in the “dark,” ask the Lord to give you the courage to make the call to your estranged fellow traveler and both of you get back on the right path.
One encouraging thought that always helps and guides me is knowing the Lord ALWAYS knows where we are and where we need to be. He’s perfectly capable in every circumstance to give us the guidance we need to find our way back to Him and to the path He’s designed for us to follow.
Ray Majoran’s beautiful prayers always inspire and enlighten. Listen to His words from a recent prayer entitled “Journey,” the last few lines of which say: “In all our ways, help us acknowledge You — in decisions, in waiting, in progress, and in uncertainty. Keep us mindful of Your presence as we walk, so that every step is shaped by knowing You. And as we follow the path You have set before us, make it straight according to Your design. Though it may curve and climb, let it always lead where You intend. Strengthen us to walk faithfully, trusting that the One who directs our path never loses His way (Psalm 37:23).”
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 