I wouldn't necessarily refer to my self as “outdoorsy”, but I do enjoy being out in nature. It makes me feel closer to the Lord when I've got a front-row seat to His creation. Although I haven't been there in a pretty good while, the Longleaf Trace is a delightful place to go. A paved path through the woods - it's a not-so-rugged outdoorswoman's dream! The farther you walk, the prettier things seem to get. But, there are some less-than-pleasant elements to the Trace: hills just steep enough to make you a bit winded, bugs of every kind, and – ugghhhh!! – snakes (that strip of pavement didn't make them round up the family and move, you know). Knowing this doesn't deter me, it simply makes me aware that I should be prepared for Longleaf's conditions. So, I can arm myself with whatever will make my stroll safer, just in case. Sure, I could choose to never walk down the Trace again, but you know what motivates me to go? The beauty and peace of being out there on that path!
I think this pretty much describes our Christian walk, don't you? When we're first saved, we're so filled with joy at knowing where the path leads, and we don't give much thought to the dangers and unpleasantness we might face. When we hit our first little hill, we find our light-footed ambling becomes more labored. At this point, we may wonder, “What's this? I'm a Christian, a child of God. I'm supposed to be blessed, not met with opposition as I walk!” Fortunately, there are other Christians who are a little farther along the road, and they can yell back at us, “Just keep walking! It's not hilly the whole way!” Once we reach the top of the hill, our breathing returns to normal, and we think, “Well, maybe I've gotten through the tough part.” The spring returns to our step, and we find ourselves skipping down the trail. Another little ways, and guess what, we walk into a swarm of flying bugs! We try to walk through it, but they attack our face, we try to go around, but the whole horde follows us! Why all this opposition on our journey? All we want to do is reach our destination! Finally, determined not to be deterred, we take a deep breath and run straight through, causing the bugs to lose their fighting formation. Once we're on the other side, we jog a few steps to make sure we're out of their vicinity. Slowing down, we look around, wondering what's coming next. We hear voices in the distance, indistinct, but filled with happiness...there must be something good up there! With a renewed sense of focus, we head for the voices. Suddenly, we stop in our tracks – the biggest snake we've ever seen is slithering acr
oss the ground a few inches away! It's not merely a snake, it's *the* snake! Our breathing becomes labored, and we're frozen in our tracks, unable to scream for help. Suddenly, a fellow traveler appears beside us with a sword (it could happen) and cuts the serpent's head off! Sobbing with relief, we offer our heartfelt thanks! After a moment of composing ourselves, we resume our walk. The voices we heard have now taken the shape of people, and we quicken our pace to get to where they are.
Home is our destination, but the Lord wants us to enjoy the journey! Even though there are hills, bugs, and snakes, God has filled our travels with beauty, and knowing we're not walking alone brings such peace! Nowhere in the Bible are we promised a Christian walk without peril, so we shouldn't expect our only encounters to be with birds and butterflies. Quite the opposite – in Mark 13:13, Jesus said, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” I guess that hatred can come in the form of hills and flying insects, both of which can be created by man. In Luke 10:19, He said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Much of that power lies within the sword that we've been given – the Bible!
So, the next time you find an obstacle in your path, just remember that Jesus is rooting for you to reach the goal! And when you come across a slimy slithery, pull that sword out and cut its head off! Don't let anything make you lose sight of your destination! Regardless of the difficulties, there is no other route you can choose that is filled with such beauty and peace, leading to such a grand and glorious end!
I think this pretty much describes our Christian walk, don't you? When we're first saved, we're so filled with joy at knowing where the path leads, and we don't give much thought to the dangers and unpleasantness we might face. When we hit our first little hill, we find our light-footed ambling becomes more labored. At this point, we may wonder, “What's this? I'm a Christian, a child of God. I'm supposed to be blessed, not met with opposition as I walk!” Fortunately, there are other Christians who are a little farther along the road, and they can yell back at us, “Just keep walking! It's not hilly the whole way!” Once we reach the top of the hill, our breathing returns to normal, and we think, “Well, maybe I've gotten through the tough part.” The spring returns to our step, and we find ourselves skipping down the trail. Another little ways, and guess what, we walk into a swarm of flying bugs! We try to walk through it, but they attack our face, we try to go around, but the whole horde follows us! Why all this opposition on our journey? All we want to do is reach our destination! Finally, determined not to be deterred, we take a deep breath and run straight through, causing the bugs to lose their fighting formation. Once we're on the other side, we jog a few steps to make sure we're out of their vicinity. Slowing down, we look around, wondering what's coming next. We hear voices in the distance, indistinct, but filled with happiness...there must be something good up there! With a renewed sense of focus, we head for the voices. Suddenly, we stop in our tracks – the biggest snake we've ever seen is slithering acr
oss the ground a few inches away! It's not merely a snake, it's *the* snake! Our breathing becomes labored, and we're frozen in our tracks, unable to scream for help. Suddenly, a fellow traveler appears beside us with a sword (it could happen) and cuts the serpent's head off! Sobbing with relief, we offer our heartfelt thanks! After a moment of composing ourselves, we resume our walk. The voices we heard have now taken the shape of people, and we quicken our pace to get to where they are. Home is our destination, but the Lord wants us to enjoy the journey! Even though there are hills, bugs, and snakes, God has filled our travels with beauty, and knowing we're not walking alone brings such peace! Nowhere in the Bible are we promised a Christian walk without peril, so we shouldn't expect our only encounters to be with birds and butterflies. Quite the opposite – in Mark 13:13, Jesus said, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” I guess that hatred can come in the form of hills and flying insects, both of which can be created by man. In Luke 10:19, He said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Much of that power lies within the sword that we've been given – the Bible!
So, the next time you find an obstacle in your path, just remember that Jesus is rooting for you to reach the goal! And when you come across a slimy slithery, pull that sword out and cut its head off! Don't let anything make you lose sight of your destination! Regardless of the difficulties, there is no other route you can choose that is filled with such beauty and peace, leading to such a grand and glorious end!