Even as a child, if you put me in the woods with a dog (or two, or three), you had a happy girl. I am living proof that some things never change. When the stresses of this world seem to be overwhelming, one of my favorite coping mechanisms has always been to disappear into the woods. Making paths into uncharted territories has been one of my favorite activities for as long as I can remember.
A couple of weeks ago as I was blazing a new trail, I was feeling rather accomplished as I cut my way through a tight spot. I was careful to make sure that both horse and rider could navigate through the trees, without limbs and vines entangling either of the two. It was getting late, but I was determined to accomplish my goal of getting through this mass of briars and brush before I hiked back to the four wheeler. Finally, with scratched and blistered hands, I emerged on the other side of the dense thicket, that now had a path large enough to accommodate a horse and rider.
As I walked ahead about 20 yards, I stood in disbelief, as I realized that all of the hard work and time that I spent cutting this trail was completely unnecessary! It seemed that the local deer population had already established a path that led right back to the area where my four wheeler was sitting!
As I looked around at just how clear this area was compared to how overgrown “my trail” had been, God brought this to my mind: Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV).
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.
Just as I forged ahead creating my “path” without surveying my surroundings, sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives (and problems), that we get tunnel vision in life. We feel that we know what is best, and we forge ahead, often into difficulty without consulting God. Even as Christians, we forget to be STILL. We forget to seek God’s wisdom and direction, and we often create a difficult journey for ourselves.
Today I challenge each of us to spend more time seeking God’s wisdom and direction for our lives. Life is short, and we don’t want to waste our time fighting unnecessary battles and “wondering in the wilderness,” when God has prepared a path for us already.