[Article by Conejo member, Susan Giboney.]
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And do not rely on your own insight;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make straight your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6, RSV
One early morning while living in Japan, my husband and I awoke to heavy fallen snow. I was to drive him in our clunky old Renault, with the steering wheel on the right and the gear shift on the left, to the nearby train station. Due to the new-fallen snow, I could not see where to follow our unpaved dirt road to where he needed to go. My husband decided to safely drive us to the station so I could see the visible ruts on the snowy path the tire tracks made. Then I could follow the path he made and return home safely.
It is easy to get in a ‘rut’ in life and it sometimes has a negative connotation of complacency and being stuck. A “path,” on the other hand, implies intention, suggesting pausing long enough to choose a direction. Following a good path rarely feels heroic in the moment and might look boring. The wrong path, by contrast, can seem thrilling or socially approved, but might be costly. For instance, a path might be following the lead of a wise parent, a trusted mentor, a respected teacher, or a senior citizen who has blazed a positive path. Or it might be you unknowingly making a life path for others as they witness your choices or how you face challenging situations. 1 Peter 2:21 states that Christ left an example that we should follow in His steps.
Perhaps being able to recall God’s Word is like establishing a clear path for us to follow. What a blessing it is to be able to track well-worn grooves of godly character and see results of proven life behaviors in getting us safely to our heavenly home.
Jesus says “follow me” 21 times in scripture. The Proverbs scripture above is a well-known Bible passage encouraging complete trust in God rather than relying on personal understanding or limited human perspective. It advises acknowledging God in every area of life, promising that He will direct, straighten, and guide our paths. Remember the game Follow the Leader? Every so often it’s worth stopping to consider what path we are following and noticing if we are choosing an unhealthy one and have the courage to step out of that rut. I am thankful my husband was trustworthy and led me on a path safely back home. And we are all strengthened by God’s promise that following His path will grant us abundant life to His heavenly home! I wonder who is watching, witnessing, or following our paths today?
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