God has a path for you and me. How do you know God’s path for you? And how do you stay on it? How does the Lord direct your path? These are all great questions so let’s dig in and see how we can be staying on the path and continue to follow it.
What does staying on the path mean?
Really, this is all about staying on the road or sticking to a map. Wouldn’t it be great if God gave us a map or a GPS to navigate life? He actually did with His Word, the Bible. However, there isn’t a picture of a map in the Bible that says, “You are here,” and this is where you need to go.
What happens when you get off the path?
Several years ago, a friend of mine and I were heading to a sister church to do a presentation. We were on this road which was only one and a half lanes wide. Winding slowly to the top, we came around a corner and the road turned to gravel and then dirt.
At the same time, my friend and I looked at each other and burst out laughing, so hard that we cried. We were definitely lost!
Have you ever taken a few wrong turns, tried to get back on track, and thought you were finally headed in the right direction?
We had left with plenty of time to get there. Unfortunately, our map and my GPS had the road labeled differently than what it was. With the road construction and one bad turn, came another and another.
I don’t usually ask for directions but when I called someone and asked for directions, those directions lead us to the wrong location! When I stopped a second time and asked someone for directions, we finally found it. We made it to our meeting, very late, but all in one piece and we had an adventure along the way.
How does the Lord direct your path?
This adventure reminded me of how often I think I know the way in life and don’t consult God’s roadmap, the Bible. And other times, I consult the map but purposely take a wrong turn anyway because I think my way is better.
God’s Word is clear that we need to follow the instructions of this verse.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV
Many times, I say that I trust Him and then turn and do my own thing. As if I am telling Him, “I trust you, but my way is better.”
Or, “I want to do it my way now because I don’t want to wait around for when your way comes along.”
Ouch! Do I really do that? Unfortunately, the answer is yes.
We need to trust Him. His path is the straight way and the best direction to go.
How do I know God’s path?
In Psalms, it says:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Psalm 32:8 ESV
God is going to give us instruction in this life. Does that mean this life will be all peaches and cream as He counsels us? No. Not all lessons are easy to learn. Even Peter said that we have been grieved in our trials so our faith is tested to be genuine (1 Peter 1:6,7 ESV).
God is looking to see if we mean what we say and truly TRUST HIM and whether our walk matches our talk.
How do I stay on God’s path?
We need to spend time in prayer, and we need to listen to what God is telling us.
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.
Proverbs 19:20 ESV
We need to consult His GPS, and there are many references in Scripture about this needing to be a DAILY occurrence.
When He gives me instructions about which way to go, I need to follow them instead of taking another path or listening to the advice of another person who may not know God and His ways.
His road may be a 1 ½ wide lane, winding up a hill, and may seem rough like gravel at times, but is the RIGHT direction to go and you will have adventures along the way.
Staying on the Path: Reflection Thoughts
- What verse in this post or God’s GPS for life means the most to you and why?
- Do you tend to stick to the path and follow God’s GPS or do you go your own way? Why do you do that? If you tend to follow your way, ask yourself why you do that. Do you trust Him? Why or why not?
- What are some adjustments you need to make to do a course correction? Spend time in prayer asking God for his help and thanking Him for showing you the path to be on.
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