Pastor’s Corner: “The Path of Life”
John 8:12 (MSG) – 12 Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”
There is a story told of a man on an African safari deep in the jungle. The guide before him had a machete and was whacking away the tall weeds and thick underbrush. The traveler, tired and hot, asked in frustration, “Where are we? Do you know where you are taking me? Where is the path?!” The seasoned guide stopped and looked back at the man and replied, “I am the path.”
Have you heard the saying: “It’s a jungle out there”? Life is like a jungle. It is dark, the foliage is thick, there could be wild animals around the corner and we cannot see the path. Obviously this is not literal. It is not a jungle of beasts and trees. Actually that would be more simple. Our jungles are thickets of failing health, broken hearts, and empty wallets. Our forests are outlined with hospital walls and divorce courts. Fear of the future can keep up paralyzed. It is a jungle out there.
We ask the same questions, don’t we? We ask God, “Where are you taking me? Where is the path?” And He, like the guide, doesn’t tell us. Oh, he may give us a hint or two, but that’s all. If he did, would we understand? Would we comprehend our location? No, like the traveler, we are unacquainted with this jungle. So rather than give us an answer, Jesus gives us a far greater gift. He gives us himself. John 8:12 (MSG) – 12 Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”
We need to remember that in this dark world filled with uncertainty and fear, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. We often spend so much time looking for a way out, searching for the right path and in the process we find ourselves lost and at a seeming dead end. We need to keep in mind that Jesus is the path and the light! If we follow Jesus, we will never be lost no matter where our location is.
Does Jesus remove the jungle? No, the vegetation is still thick. Does he eliminate the predators? No, danger still lurks. Jesus doesn’t give hope by changing the jungle; he restores our hope by giving us Himself. And he has promised to stay until the very end. “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20 NIV). We need that reminder. We all need that reminder because all of us need hope. Psalm 16:11 (MSG) – 11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.
Following Jesus Christ is rather scary until you understand He is more powerful than any jungle or storm that we will ever encounter. Only he knows what lies ahead. Only he knows what the best plan is. And yet too often, we stubbornly choose to trust in our own thinking rather than asking him for guidance and obeying him. And as we dart off on our own paths, we wander away from his protection, the protection He so much wants to give. Like a sheep leaving the flock and the Shepherd’s protection, we open ourselves to problems and dangers we cannot handle alone.
When we trust God enough to choose his plan, to walk in obedience to him, He will renew our strength. He will guide us along the right paths. And we will honor him in what we do. When we choose to follow him, we don’t need to be afraid because he is right beside us. No matter where the path leads, he will protect us and comfort us. Isaiah 42:16 (CEV) – 16 I will lead the blind on roads they have never known; I will guide them on paths they have never traveled. Their road is dark and rough, but I will give light to keep them from stumbling. This is my solemn promise.
Some of you many think you have a handle on the jungle and path right now. Maybe your jungle has become a meadow and your journey a delight. Congratulations! But remember, we do not know what tomorrow holds. We do not know where this road will lead. You may be one turn from a cemetery, from a hospital bed, from an empty house. You may be a bend and the jungle is around the corner. Even though you don’t need your hope restored today, you may tomorrow. And you need to know to whom to turn.
Maybe you do need hope today. You know you were not made for this place. You know you are not equipped. You want someone to lead you out of the darkness. If so, call out for your Shepherd. He knows your voice. And he’s just waiting for your request.
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton