Transformational Thought
Spring has been full tilt, school is in the home stretch, and summer right around the bend. Plants are budding. I’m working in the yard, enjoying bright sunny days and evenings (finally), outdoor sports and activities, and even guttin’ out an occasional jog. Appreciating and enjoying God’s great creation is so much easier for me when the temperature is warm, the sun is bright, and the colors are vibrant.
My wife really likes taking walks together and the occasional hike is an even better workout. Hiking is a really fun, healthy, adventurous, and growing experience, and we’ve found a new park to hike in this year. But hikes can be especially interesting if we’re exploring a new trail with a guide. Several key elements of hiking include the intention of the guide and hiker to go on the hike together, coordinated movements modeled by the guide and repeated by the hiker, strategic planning initiated by the guide and followed by the hiker, and most importantly the trustworthiness of the guide and willingness of the hiker to trust the guide.
Once we come to Christ in faith, we begin an adventurous hike with God on an incredible daily journey. The destination for this lifetime … the Mind of Christ, the Promised Land, the Abundant Life described to us in The Holy Bible. We’ve never been there before, nor do we know exactly how to get there. The Bible gives us very concrete instruction. But the actual application can be pretty challenging. Numerous detours and false paths make the road very hard to follow. It is vital that we learn to trust our Guides, God and the Holy Spirit, and our role model, Jesus, in every area of our lives … day in and day out.
We can trust God because He assures us that when we love Him and commit our lives to Him, He works everything … the good and the bad … together for good. We can trust Him because He has demonstrated His unconditional love for us. We can commit our wayward child to Him because we know He loves that child even more than we do. We can commit our finances to Him because we know that He died for our spiritual need, so He’s not going to waste that by blowing off our lesser needs. We can trust our loved one’s health to Him because of His mercy and love. We can trust God to work His plan in our ministry … and His plan is perfect.
Are you clinging to and worrying about some area of your life instead of trusting God? God cares about everything that concerns you. But Satan brainwashes us into thinking we really can’t fully trust anyone … that the only one who knows what’s best for me is …. ME! What a path to destruction that is.
Today, examine your daily hike. Where are you going and who is your guide? These are the two most important questions you need to ask. If you are your own guide, and are following your own map or the world’s system … you are lost! Keep your eyes on Him. Love and trust Him. He will go before you … He will guide you … He will strengthen you … and He will work all things for your good. Edging Forward is designed to help you follow God as your guide, edging forward one stepping stone at a time in your everyday hike to the Promised Land. Whether you choose God as your guide or you continue to follow your own path is your decision, so choose well.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I have been worrying about this situation and trying to fix it myself. My way hasn’t worked. I commit this situation and my hike to You. I trust You for the answer. I want You to be my Guide. Help me to resist being my own guide, because I now know my own path leads to the wrong places. No matter how things look now, I trust You to get me to the right place … the Mind of Christ. I trust You to work all things together for good. I pray this and all prayers in the name of the One I strive to trust completely, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say – AMEN!
The Truth
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13,14