Last week I enjoyed an afternoon bike ride with my husband on a scenic rail trail in Pennsylvania. It was one of those October days in which the sun felt warm and the shade cool. Trees hinting yellow leaves lined both sides of the seemingly endless path, while the only sound was leaves crunching beneath bike tires.
Robert Frost’s well-known poem “The Road Not Taken” came to mind—“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood . . . .” The poet expresses coming to a juncture and pondering which path to take—knowing all too well that as he starts down one road, and way leads to way, it’s unlikely he will ever be back to travel the other.
He concludes:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
I thought about a crossroads time in my own life, in which I chose a path to follow, leaving a different one behind, never to know what might have been.
I pondered with thankfulness the hand of God on my life, the things He has seen me through, and the blessings that have come. I contemplated the choices I’ve made—even the ones once tinged with uncertainty or regret.
Sometimes it’s hard to decide which road to take. How do we know what’s right? What’s best? Where it will lead us?
Like Frost’s poem, the words of Scripture in Proverbs 3:5-6 are simple and colloquial, yet dense with meaning and significance.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
God simply asks us to trust Him, to seek Him, to stay in His presence.
As we journey through life, we will encounter pitfalls on the side of the road. A few steps off the path and we easily fall into ditches of self-pity, pride or despair.
But God asks that we keep our eyes on Him, seeking His will in all we do, and trusting Him in all things. He promises to always be with us.
“ . . . let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Seeking and staying close to the Lord, He protects us, as His words guide our feet and light our path.
He shows us the way to go. He leads us beside peaceful streams. He renews our strength. He guides us along right paths. We need only ask, trust, and stay in His presence.
Copyright © 2015 Cheryl Elton
That was a great bike ride – the scenery was awesome and I had such great company! Your message captures exactly what we had been discussing – how we need the Lord Jesus Christ, as the good shepherd, to go before us into our day – every day. Nice message Cheryl.
Thanks Cheryl for your encouraging message. It made me think of Proverbs 2:8-10:
“He guards the paths of justice,
And preserves the way of His saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul.”
Like you said, if we stay near to the Lord, He will keep us on the right path.
Amen to that. Thanks Ken!
Nicely written, Cheryl! I have put my bike on the indoor trainer now. I actually spun a little on it today! It is true that God will direct our paths, if we let Him. And by simply trusting Him, He can lead us down really cool paths.
I agree, Lisa. Sometimes the paths we end up on are so much better than we could have imagined. It’s a comfort to trust God for all things.