Safe Path

Read Psalm 40:1-5

[The Lord] set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
-Psalm 40:2 (NIV)

IT was a cold and windy Sunday morning in Alaska. After a brief warming trend, the temperature had dropped precipitously. The roads were so slick that even my four-wheel-drive vehicle was difficult to control unless I stayed on the gravel strip the road crew had laid down.

On our way to church, we passed two children who were walking toward us on the icy roadway. They were sliding and falling, and the wind made staying on their feet almost impossible. My wife called out, "Walk on the gravel; it's much easier."

They quickly scrambled over to the nearby gravel strip. Grateful for their newfound stability, they shouted, "Thank you."

God always provides a path for us to follow. Unfortunately, we are sometimes distracted; our attention wanders, or we see an attractive diversion. As a result, we find ourselves off God's path, slipping, falling, and stumbling under the buffeting winds of life. Regaining our spiritual footing seems impossible.

How blessed we are to be always under the watchful eye of the Lord! But when we find ourselves skidding, God doesn't just call out directions. God comes to us, takes us by the hand, and leads us to safety.

by Jack Aiken (Alaska, USA)