August 11, 2021
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. – Psalm 25:8-10
Walking in the woods one day, a hiker found that they were not where they were supposed to be. It wasn’t that the hiker meant to be in the situation in which they now found themselves, but at some point had read the trail incorrectly and taken a wrong turn. Now, the hiker needed to find a way back to where they once were, or at least figure out how to get to where they were going.
We’ve all probably felt lost at some point, not knowing what direction to go, or if it would be better to turn back, or perhaps keep going. I’ve read many stories, such as the one above, and some cases, the best course of action was to turn back, and find the trail head. In other cases, the hiker felt confident they knew where they were, and made it to where they were supposed to be. However, there are also the stories that don’t end well. Living new the smokey mountains we perhaps have been made aware at times with the national forest service is actively looking for that person or group that has lost their way, and other times the tragedy of the loss of life is the end of those stories.
The writer of psalm 25, attributed to David speaks from a lost position. They aren’t lost in the woods like the hiker, but the writer speaks as though they are at a loss of what direction to take in faith and in life. They know they are hated by some, they know their own shortcomings, and sins, they know that God has been a past help, and believe God will be a present and future help as well. So they pray this prayer, lifting themselves to God. We probably recognize the prayer from verse 4-5 which state “make me to know your ways, O Lord, teach me you paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation…
Yet, what strikes me from the verse shared above, is that while we are looking for the Lord’s path for us, God may be on another path. “All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness.” So which path do we find?
I believe sometimes the best course of action is to stop, wait, and listen. If we are lost, if we don’t know what direction to take, perhaps that is the moment when we need to wait upon the Lord. To pray, believe in God’s goodness, trust in his mercy and grace, and perhaps even look for where His compassion and love is evident. When the Lord meets us in those places we feel lost, or in those places where we have the most doubt, we can then know the assurance of his love that lifts us, and hos presence which will sustain us, and then, we can follow our Lord from there.
Grace & Peace,
Sam