Pathfinder

Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow.

Psalm 25:4 (NLT)

In our younger years, my wife and I used to go hiking quite a bit. We’d load up our dogs and head off to the wild unknown for an adventure whenever we felt the call of nature. We were always blessed by the hard work our forest service personnel put in to make, maintain, and install signage on the trails. We have also been cursed when people have come along and destroyed the trail system and, especially, removed the signage. Perhaps you can relate?

Not knowing where to turn can become an issue real quick. When we hike a trail loop, it’s fairly straight forward. You start and end in the same place. Just stay on the trail. But, often times when we’re hiking, we are linking two or more trail systems together to either get to a destination or make our hike a bit longer. There have been several instances where we’ve come to a fork in the trails only to discover no directional signage, and the map that we have doesn’t even show the fork. We then have to make a choice of which one to follow based on our own gut feeling. Sometimes it turns out OK. Other times we end up with a trail that is quickly disintegrating, is completely overgrown, or is simply leading us in the wrong direction. It can make a good hike a bad one in a short amount of time.

Our own personal journeys (called “Life”) can feel the same way. Often times we come to a fork, or crossroads in our life. There are no good signs for us to know which way to go. So, we make our best guess. Sometimes, it turns out to be a good decision, but often it turns out to be a hurtful one.

The Psalmist echoes this conflict in life as he prays, “Show me the right path, O Lord.” He is reminding us that God already has scouted everything out for us. He knows every twist, every turn, every crossroads that we will encounter in life. Specifically, He knows which route we should take in every situation that will provide us with the most meaningful life on earth, and the best route into eternity. And, because He is such a loving God, He wants to share that information with us. We need only ask, listen, and follow His directions.

Perhaps you are at a crossroads in your life right now. Take some time today to ask God where to turn. Ask Him to reveal His path for you. Listen for His directions. Then, simply follow.