The Path of God

Imagine, if you will, that you were sent to a place far away that you've never been to before. Imagine that you are promised great rewards in this new place. Now you have to get from where you are, Point A, to where you are supposed to be, Point B. It is impossible to go straight to Point B because there are obstacles in the way. You are then given specific directions as to how you are going to get to Point B. However, your directions are give one at a time and once you complete that task, you are given the new direction. With each move you make, you are provided more information and knowledge that will ultimately be very important and helpful for you when you finally reach Point B. As a matter of fact, some of these things you are learning along the way are absolutely vital to your success once you reach Point B.

Now, your directions will not be to travel this road or that road. They will not include warnings about what is to come next or how rough your path will be. They will not advise you what you must learn before moving on. The directions will simply say things like, “Go North until I tell you to stop.” You will not be given the specifics of how you are to get there or where you are to stop, only that you are to stop or turn when told. The next direction might be, “Now go East.” You then turn east and proceed until you hear otherwise. You aren’t clear where Point B is so you follow. Then you hear, “Now go South.” Then, “Turn West.” Then, “Turn East.” Finally, days, months or even years later, you reach Point B. The rewards promised to you are indeed greater than you ever expected. So great that the rough and long path you took now seems smooth and short. You have learned a great deal of valuable information along the way. You have made life-long friends. You are now capable and prepared to encouraging others as they travel down their given paths. You can attest to the truth of the promised rewards and to the accuracy of the directions being given. The tragedy here is what the outcome could have been if you didn’t turn when you were told to. If you got tired and gave up. Or what if you didn’t start the path at all? Your director had a reward set out for you and you chose to leave it. Your director would be disappointed. Your director would be upset that he could not share his reward with you as he intended. But you did choose to follow. Regardless of whether the path was rocky, sandy or dusty, paved, hot, cold, wet or dark, you chose to follow. And now, you could never imagine if you had said, “no.”

There will be others who will tell you that you’re wasting your time. They will tell you that you are crazy. They don’t understand because they were not given the promise that you were given. Or maybe they don’t have the ability to travel such a path. Maybe they aren’t supposed to. They are on their own given paths and they want you to travel with them. They may think, “You are ridiculous for believing that someone has a promised reward for you there. How can anyone send you on such a rough path if they really had something good for you at the end.” But you know you have been given a promise of great rewards on your own path so that’s the one you travel. You think, “But their path looks easy. It’s smooth and doesn’t cause near as much hardships in life as the one I’m travelling. It’s clearly marked on the map and I’ve been there before. I know the place and I’m comfortable there.” But the faith and trust you place in your director is more important and you go where you are told.

Please pray that we are willing to listen to our directions and turn when we are told. Please pray that we are willing to continue going straight if we are told. Please pray that we don’t forget to turn or fail to hear a direction. If we do, we might miss the vital information we are supposed to learn. We might miss a new life-long friend. Worse, we might miss the reward. Please pray that we are always listening and willing to stay on course with…the path of God.