Where does your path lead you?

 

Scott in Death Valley 2000

Scott in Death Valley 2000

  

Many times I have thought that the path I am on is not easy but if it is God’s pathway I must trust Him. What is God’s way? The children of Israel were told  “remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not” (Deut 8:2). God’s way for them was through the wilderness (a place of desolation or wasting). Before the children of Israel could enter into the Promised Land, God would lead them into the wilderness to humble and test them revealing their hearts of unbelief. God’s way for them exposed their human frailty and weakness and revealed their need and dependence on God. If they were never tested then their hearts would be full of pride and self sufficiency saying to themselves ‘we have entered the Promised Land by our own strength and effort’.

“Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion’, says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” (Lam 3:22-26)

 Moses knew God’s way through the wilderness; (Ps 103:7) it was a narrow path that required total dependence on God. All flesh (human effort, pride) would be consumed there (Deut 2:14). “He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years”(Acts 7:36).

 Jesus knew the path into and out of the wilderness where he would be tempted by the devil (Matt 4:1). The devil tested him in the wilderness by accusing and lying to him. Jesus was led there by the Spirit for a greater purpose than just survival. He overcame the devil’s temptation by depending and believing the Word of God.  It was the path of victory on the way to the Cross. God allowed Jesus’ suffering so that others could be saved. Jesus was crucified for our eternal salvation (deliverance).

God sometimes will allow suffering on our life’s path so others can be helped. We may never know why but we can ask God to teach us in our spirits what our eyes cannot see. Our adversary, the devil, is also on our path encircling us and wearing us down with taunting thoughts and words of despair. He tempts us to doubt our way and our God. If we listen to his subtleties and lies we will quit before we see our victory. He will suggest “the Lord sent me to afflict you” or “God is teaching you a lesson” or “your life is too messed up for God to change you”. The accuser of the brethern wants us to believe there is no relief in our affliction because our circumstance have not changed. In fact, by sight things have gotten worse! But this is a LIE, if God has led you into a wilderness of affliction; He won’t abandon you there. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But the LORD delivers him out of them all” (Ps 34:19).  God wants us, first of all, to go to Him and “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16b). Then, we are to take the comfort and strength that He gives us and share it with others who are despairing  in their souls. By this declaration, God is glorified on the earth.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor 1:3-5 NKJV).

One Response to “Where does your path lead you?”

  1. Juergen Says:

    Scott, Thank you for your words of encouragement. As my wife suffers from these chronic migraines, all of these doctor visits, acupuncture, physical therapy, neurology, and medications. I am reminded that God will not abandon us and leave us without hope. He is our hope, our refuge, our rock. Sometimes, I can’t express myself in prayer and supplications. So, I am reminded of these verses, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
    – Romans 8:24-29 (KJV) We need to let God fill in the gap. We know, the Lord will not leave us hanging in the balance.

    Consider, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Heb 13:5 – KJV)

    This life is microscopic when compared to the eternal reward.

    Again, Scott thank you for your sharing your devotional. God Bless you and Glennis and all of your loved ones. In Christ and His Love, Juergen