The Path Less Traveled

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" -John 14:6

While hiking with my husband on the trail around the base of the Grand Tetons, I could see the fork in the path ahead. Clearly, the lower trail was the one chosen by most - clear and wide, easy to follow. But we were intrigued by the path less traveled and ventured there on our own, up a much narrower trail. 

Although the path was rougher and steeper, we shared an unexpected adventure and were awed at the sight of a beautiful hidden lake - a view we would surely have missed if we had stayed on the main trail.

Sometimes walking on the path God chooses for us means taking the path less traveled or even blazing a whole new trail. Following the footsteps of the crowd would certainly be easier, and in our sin, we sometimes do just that. 

We choose the lower trail, the path of least resistance. 

We place our trust in ourselves to find the way. 

We allow the world to define our values; we make crowd-pleasing decisions that do not honor God; we even fail to stand up for our faith. 

Despite our sinful steps down the worldly path, God does not give up on us. In His love, He sent His Son to die for our sins, cleansing us from our worldly ways and filling us with faith to follow Him.

As the Holy Spirit leads, we step off the beaten path and take the narrow, winding way instead. This is the way the world finds unappealing. 

The way that trusts God to provide, even then the numbers in our checkbook aren't "crunching" very well. 

The path that refuses to watch popular TV shows that try to redefine our moral values. 

The way that makes choices for our children that may not be outwardly cool or crowd pleasing. 

The way that stands up for our faith and our Savior in situations where God's Word is called into question.

Although the world continues to try and redefine our beliefs, wanting us to fall for the lie that all roads lead to heaven, by the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we trust the truth of God's Word that tells us otherwise. Jesus said, "I am the way...No one comes to the Father except through Me." No other roads or paths lead to salvation - to eternity in heaven with our Savior.

Taking the way less traveled, we can't always see what lies ahead on the path as we step out with our beautiful feet; sometimes His path for us is rough and steep and rocky; it may even look scary. But that forces us to trust the maker of the path. As we follow His lead, we are in for an adventure! 

We know that with every step we take, He has walked before us, making our way clear. 

As we walk, He also walks beside us. 

When we stumble, He catches us and steadies us. 

And when we can no longer stand, He picks us up and carries us. 

He knows the length of our walk, the end of our journey in this life, and the endless walk we will share with Him in eternity! We will most certainly be awed at the sight of heaven, a view we would have missed on the main trail. 

By God's grace, I'm taking the path less traveled. How about you?

Dear God, forgive me for walking a worldly path instead of following You. By Your Spirit, lead me down the path less traveled; I know my Savior walks beside me.  

In His name. Amen.

From Beautiful Feet by Deb Burma © 2010 CPH. Reprinted with permission

Precious In His Sight

My precious little sister, Lisa, went Home to be with Jesus last night. She now sees her Savior face-to-face, and has been delivered out of all her tribulations. Though I miss her terribly, I trust that one day I will join her, and together we will sing with the angels around God's throne. In memory of Lisa, I share the following with you; it was the final devotion I wrote for "Treasured" a few short months ago. I believe that God nudged me to save this piece for last...

…may my life be precious in the sight of the LORD, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation. 1 Samuel 26:24

“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world,” our Sunday School sang off-key, and with all our might. “They are precious in His sight!” we shouted. Looking at my little sister, I knew it was true; she was precious in His sight. She was a rare jewel - a precious gem! For a few brief years, she was able to belt out those words with the rest of us; that is, when she stood still long enough. Lisa was “hyperactive” as defined by the doctors in her preschool years. They would later learn that Lisa was having small seizures that affected her behavior. Over the next several years, the seizure activity worsened, taking its toll on my sister, damaging more and more of her brain. Although my parents sought all the medical care available, there was no cure for the rare degenerative disorder that plagued Lisa’s body.

Precious In His Sight

Over the years, I often cried out to God in anguish for my little sister: “If Lisa is precious in Your sight, why would You allow something so awful to happen to her?” Even as I cried out, I received the Savior’s peace and strength. I know that my family did, too. God gave us the ability to trust Him despite the difficulties Lisa’s disease placed on us and the pain it caused her. We trusted that He was holding His precious gem, my sister, in the palm of His hand.

Today, Lisa lives in a home for adults with severe mental disabilities. She receives excellent care and a lot of love from caretakers and family. Although I may not understand why she has had to endure so many trials, I know that my sister’s life is precious in the sight of the Lord. She is a chosen and baptized child of God, treasured and forgiven; her salvation is certain. In her limited capacities, she is a joyful person with a ready smile, a quick hug, and a snap of her fingers. Although she does not speak or sing anymore, she touches many people with her life. I trust that God is using Lisa’s precious life to show them His grace and that He is glorified through her. One day, she will be delivered out of all the tribulation she has endured in this life. One day, she will see her Savior face-to-face and sing with the angels around God’s throne!

Our lives are precious in the Savior’s sight. We may cry out to God in anguish because we do not understand why He has allowed something awful to happen to us or to someone we love. There will be trouble, pain, and hurt in all our lives as a result of the sin in this world. But we have Good News! Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) He overcame sin and death when He died for us. We are chosen and forgiven in Christ; our salvation is secure. We are His treasured jewels – His precious gems! The Lord gives us His peace and strength, enabling us to trust Him in the midst of trials and tribulation. One day, we will all be delivered out of our tribulations. We, too, will see our Savior face-to-face and belt out our praises with the angels around the throne of God!

Lord God, I praise You for choosing me and that my life is precious in Your sight! In the strength of Your Spirit, enable me to trust You through every tribulation. Use my life to show others Your grace. Be glorified through me today! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

From Treasured: A 30-day Devotional Journey by Deb Burma © 2010 CPH.  Reprinted with permission.