The Road Less Traveled

Proverbs 3:17 "Her (wisdom) ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace."


"It's a dog eat dog world out there." "You have to look out for number one." "If you don't take care of yourself, no one will." This is some of the common wisdom of the world that we all grow up hearing and in some way weave into the fabric of the tapestry that becomes our own philosophy of life. To walk the paths of life is hard, dangerous, full of traps and snares, and if you are lucky enough and have a guardian angel you may get by with just a few bumps and bruises. Is that your life? Is getting by by the skin of your teeth the best you can hope for? It is if you are out there on your own in a big and ugly world that would like nothing better than devour you and drag you down into the gutter that Satan has devised for all his followers. Survival of the fittest is the game and you better be the big dog in town. But even when you come out on top in the fight, you can really never be quite sure if you are doing the right thing, if you are on the right path. You cannot tell by the look of it, for the path to destruction and the path to success don't really look that different.

Not so for the believer that has put his life into the hands of an all-powerful and loving Savior. If we entrust our destiny to Jesus, we get to take Him by His loving hand and walk side by side with Him along the path of life. If we follow His road map and trust in His directions, under His guidance, we get to enjoy the beauty of the paths we are on and get to gaze upon the wondrous scenery along the way. We will notice the flowers on the wayside, give thanks for the trees that give needed shade, hear the brook softly running in the background, and see the butterflies fluttering around our heads. We are not alone anymore. We have a guide, a strong Father that takes us gently along the way. He will talk to us, He will laugh with us, He will be sad with us, He will have compassion for us, He will tell us when to turn, when to rest and when to run. In short, He will instruct us in the way to go in life.

As for me, I am tired of the frustration and fights of a walk where I constantly have to push and shove and look out for my best interest in order to get ahead in life. I am hungry, weary, and worn out when I have to do life on my own strength. I want God to come, take me by the hand and tell me "it's OK, just trust in Me. You can let Me lead you and I will show you the right way to go. Just follow My example and you will be all right." I want to enjoy the journey. I want to look behind with a sense of satisfaction for what I have accomplished and look forward with anticipation and hope. I want the best road trip possible with the best tour guide available - Jesus. I want the peace that His ways offer me.

Application
In order to enjoy the rewards that Jesus has to offer, I have to completely surrender my life to Him, so that He can direct me. To do that I have to learn to trust Him with all areas of my life. Today, I will prayerfully confess to another person an area of my life that I have not given over to the Lord and thus bring it into the light for God to deal with.