POWER OF THE PATH



“I [the angel of the Lord] have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.” Numbers 22:32b

 The path you choose is the path you use. It may be a path of pride or a path of humility. The path may stimulate purity or impurity. It could be a path of wisdom or a path of foolishness. The path may be one of cooperation or a path of independence. Your path may be family friendly or hostile to the health of your home.

  Be careful how you seek after success, because you can easily veer down the path of lost accountability. The path you choose is the path you use, so be very wise about the choices you make. Make sure that the path you traverse follows through the woods of God’s will. Your path is a picture of overlaid choices. One after another, your daily decisions dig out a well-beaten path.

  But, do not be deceived—every path leads somewhere. Your current path is not insignificant. If it is a path of preparation, then prepare well. A well-prepared path paves the way for opportunity. Do not complain about the limitations of your circumstances when you have not been a good steward of your resources, relationships, finances and skills. Choose the path of patient preparation.

 The more you prepare, the wider this path becomes. The less you prepare the narrower it becomes. The path of preparation may seem long and onerous at times, but be patient and stay the course. Your faithfulness now will bolster your influence later. The path of preparation requires persevering patience. Travel this path with focused attention. Enjoy the journey, for these may be the simplest days of your life. The path of preparation is the strong foundation of any excellent and eternally significant endeavor.

  Another path to walk wisely upon is the path of personal intimacy with God. It is easy to overlook this path because of familiarity or busyness. But, without a worn-out path to God, you will wear out. It is a path that requires discipline, but the fruit of your faith’s exercise will serve you throughout life.

  When you walk the path of intimacy with God, He fills you with His peace, security and hope. This is not a path of quick fixes; rather, it is one of trust and endurance. Traveling a path without God is like walking in the country on a moonless night. Or, it is like running through a city during the day—blindfolded.

 In either case there is a lot of activity, but the activity is filled with fear, confusion, misdirection and eventual hurt. Indeed, the path of God is not without pain or uncertainty. But, as you travel on His path, you are filled with His presence. The presence of God is peaceful. It is purifying and pleasing to the soul.

  Moreover, life in itself is one big path. If you travel alone, it is daunting but, with Christ, it is edifying. The path of Christ is bumpy at times, but His freedom is exhilarating. As you travel with God, be ever mindful of His guardrails of grace, love and law. They are there for your protection. They keep you from straying off His path of kingdom purpose. 

The worldly road most traveled is reckless compared to the less traveled path of heaven’s security. Choose daily the wise path of confession and consultation with your creator. The path of obedience to God leads to peace with God. He is a friend to be admired, and a friend to be feared. Allow His opposition to lead you back down His path. His path is what’s best. Travel it with Him and travel it for Him!

With acknowledgement: Boyd Bailey’s “Wisdom Hunters” devotionals