"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9
Recently, I took a new trail that promised to be a one mile plus trail to the beach. So I set out through the forest with high expectations.
Shortly I came to a “Y” in the path, with the most prominent path seeming to go toward the water. It sounded good to me. I had also heard that there was a trail that ended up at the marina—maybe this was the way! It did seem strange that a sign said, “Trail to Nowhere” but the only other option was a very unclear narrow trail to the right. Its insignificance convinced me to go left and ignore the sign.
I should have trusted the sign. The trail was steep and difficult as it headed toward the water. I could see the marina but as I turned a final zigzag, the trail ended. Period! Only logs and water lie before me. My only choice was to turn around and climb back up the hill to the sign, “Trail to Nowhere.”
The poet, Robert Frost, wrote a poem called, “The Way Less Traveled.” It begins,
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The choices we make in our lives often define who we will be. Fortunately, we have a God who loves us dearly and wants only the very best for us. God wants us to be happy and free and safe. God wants us to make our way through life with joy and confidence. God has given us minds and hearts to make good choices and we have a God and people around us who will be there when we hit a dead end or find we have taken a path to nowhere. Just like me, we sometimes take the wrong path. Yet God and good people can help us get back on track.
Jesus said, “I will be with you always, to the end of time!” In fact the idea of God’s constancy with us is mentioned over and over again (see Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Deuteronomy 31:6, Zephaniah 3:17, Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5, Romans 8:38-39). It can’t get any better than that!
Prayer: Thank you, God, for your guidance and love, even when I mess up! Amen
Song: “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” (words by Thomas A. Dorsey) (ELW 773)
Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord, led me home.