Stay On the Path

I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up.

– Isaiah 49:11

Rather than a sprint, a Christ-follower’s spiritual journey is much like a marathon — or better yet — a long journey along a winding road or a steep hike up a mountain. You never know what’s around the bend or over the next crest. And if you’re not careful, it’s all too easy to lose your footing and slip from time to time.

Speaking of cross-country travel, Crabtree Falls is a popular hiking destination in scenic Nelson County, Virginia, that also happens to be the highest vertical-drop cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. The narrow, rocky trail that leads there leaves little margin for error. And there’s even a sign at the water’s edge that warns readers to stay on the path. It explains that careless hikers have died after slipping on the moss-covered rocks and tumbling over the falls.

Stay on the path is the same wise advice that the Bible gives us for our own faith journeys. Life’s hardships and tragedies await us at every turn. And it’s always tempting to take a shortcut or the easy way by doing what’s wrong or avoiding what’s right. But that route leads only to disaster:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it,” Jesus warns us through Matthew’s gospel. “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

The good news is that we worship a God who’s always there to pick us up and return us to the true pathway toward our eternal destination. So just follow His lead, and you’ll reach the goal. And rest assured that you’ll have an unforgettable trip along the way ... with a view that’s out of this world!

 

Rejoice

 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

– Isaiah 12:3

Inflation is on the rise, the nation is divided politically, and the average price of gasoline is approaching $4.00 per gallon. And if you ask the average man or woman on the street, there’s not much these days to feel happy or joyous about. But let’s put things into perspective. The fact is that billions around the world would do just about anything to trade places with us. That’s because even the poorest of the poor in the United States are considered rich (at least statistically) when compared with the rest of humanity.

But regardless of our bank accounts and the extent of our possessions, there are some things that money can’t buy, and joy is one of them. It’s that internal source of gladness and thanksgiving that helps us see clearly through the distortions of even the most difficult of circumstances. And as Christ-followers, our relationship with Jesus grants us access to our Creator — a loving Father who hears our prayers and looks for ways to bless us. So, no matter how dire the headlines, we already know that the story will end on a very positive note. The experiences of the apostle Paul richly illustrate this biblical principle: 

“Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,” he wrote in 2 Corinthians. “I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.”

That doesn’t sound like a fun-filled existence. Yet Paul wrote that he was joyful.

With so much negativity in the world today, what’s the secret for achieving a joy-filled, Christ-centered life? The Bible tells us to blend thanksgiving for our blessings and authentic, regular prayer with discernment — those ongoing intentional functions of living, thinking, and acting positively. Christ-followers should therefore make it a habit to look for the good and dwell on the positive.

When we have lives that are filled with joy, even the most unpleasant of circumstances can’t bring us down. Paul spent years in prison chained to his guards while under the constant threat of death. But he always prayed thankfully and joyously. And instead of feeling sorry for himself, he used his situation to change the lives of fellow prisoners and jailers alike — and all while writing much of what we today know as the New Testament. 

Yes, times are tough these days and the news is bleak. But Paul’s advice to today’s weary Christ-followers is all the more simple and profound:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Hurry Up and Wait

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

– Psalm 130:5

We live in a time called the Information Age. But it’s also the Era of Convenience marked by instant communications, DoorDash, apps, and microwave popcorn. And just about anything we want is just a screen-swipe or mouse-click away. But take another look and you'll discover that we're not always on the move. In fact, a 2022 OnePoll survey revealed that the average person loses 26 days each year doing nothing, and the biggest timewasters were waiting on hold on the phone, standing in line, and sitting in traffic.

It’s a rare soul these days who has the patience to wait. After all, multi-tasking — like texting while attending an office Zoom meeting — is a coveted life-skill. But patience doesn’t have to mean wasted time. In fact, the Bible tells us it’s one of the desired characteristics (a Fruit of the Spirit) that points to God’s work in our lives.

This concept might be difficult to grasp because the human viewpoint of time can oppose our Creator’s perspective. But it’s all very biblical. For example, Jesus waited about 30 years before he began his earthly ministry. And 40 years passed before Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt. As the Apostle Peter reminds us: 

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends, to the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day."

As Christ-followers, we must understand that what happens while we're waiting is often more important than what we're waiting for. Ask anyone who’s spent grueling hours at the hospital contemplating the health and future of a loved one. Did their soul-searching experience bring a closer dependence on God? It should have. After all, it's when we're so humbled and powerless that we realize we can do nothing on our own.

Developing the fruit of patience takes … patience! And it all starts with a sincere prayer for God’s help. Moreover, we need to be intentional about slowing down and detaching ourselves and our families from the world’s demands and urgencies. And as an extra step, we must establish accountability with other Christ-followers. If a trusted believer knows that you have trouble with patience, they can be there when you most need some perspective.

Patience — as the saying goes — is a virtue. And it’s no coincidence that counterintuitively, our non-stop, 24/7/365 world revolves around waiting. So, let's make the most of our time in God's Waiting Room — a place where we can look for ways and opportunities to say yes to him with a sense of expectancy and hope.

"Be still, and know that I am God," our Creator tells us through Psalm 46:10. "I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Benefit of the Doubt

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

– Matthew 14:31

It’s said that if you have enough faith to believe the first four words of the Bible (“In the beginning, God …”), the rest of Scripture is easy. Still, even the most seasoned Christ-followers can have their moments of doubt — particularly in times of crisis — when it comes to a job loss, a serious illness, or the death of a loved one. 

But trusting in God’s promises extends well beyond our employment, health, or relationships. His guarantees found throughout the Bible are eternal. And we can take them all to the bank because of our Creator’s proven record of reliability. For example, God promised through the Old Testament’s book of Amos that the city of Tyre would be destroyed because of its harsh treatment of Israel. And the armies of Alexander the Great would indeed level Tyre’s impregnable fortress walls. God also promised to reunite his scattered chosen people — the Jews — from around the globe. In 1948, he did just that through the birth of the State of Israel.

It doesn’t end there. J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy lists more than 1,800 promises from God. And no doubt the greatest was fulfilled — once again, as predicted centuries earlier — through the birth of the world’s Savior (Jesus) in an obscure outpost of the Roman Empire. It was then that God came to Earth to personally experience the human condition.

This realization of God’s promise was much more than a bookmark in history. Through Jesus, the devil was defeated and Christ-followers were given the power to live victorious, Spirit-filled lives. So, let’s consider these words of assurance that are still relevant 20 centuries after Christ’s death and Resurrection:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?” Jesus asked some of his earliest followers. “Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

That’s our Creator’s promise to you and me: That he cares deeply for us. And he also knows each of us intimately — even before we were born. In fact, the book of Isaiah tells us that our very names are written on the palms of his hands! 

As Christ-followers, uncertainties about our faith will come and go. But rest assured that we worship a God who loves us and has a wondrous eternal plan for our future. 

There’s no doubt about it!