Rewards Along The Rutted Trail
By Erica Ingraham
A few months ago, my son wanted to tell me about a dream he had the night before. Now, most dreams that 12 year-old boys have are something else – like a bad trip on drugs – plus, I was in the middle of rushing out the door. But he kept insisting, so reluctantly, I stopped to listen.
He dreamed that he was at home watching a church service on the TV where a video was presented. On the video, a husband ran around continually, doing everything his wife asked of him, and all the while saying, “Yes, Dear; anything for you, Dear.” The video spanned his entire life, and year after year as he aged, it was still: “Yes, Dear; anything for you, Dear,” until finally, old and bent over, he was a little slower and quieter. But still he continued and said, “Yes, Dear; anything for you, Dear.”
At the end of the video, my son told me, the pastor came on the screen and said that this is how your life should be lived for God. I was convicted and utterly speechless. I had been in such a hurry to leave for work that I almost missed this gem, out of the mouth of babes!
But, you see, this is how we all live: always in a hurry. We are so deafened by the daily concerns around us that we might miss what God is trying to say to us. We can be so consumed with the worries of this life that they choke out God’s still, small voice.
In Job 33:14-16, Elihu tells Job, “For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings” (NLT).
God is speaking to us all the time in our thoughts and in the world around us; through our pastors, the Bible, and dreams. Many times this happens at night while we lie in our beds because this is the only quiet time we have when nothing else is fighting for our attention.
While we may often wonder What is God’s call for my life? How can I know what God would have for me to do? He’s beckoning us to come follow His ways and the path to true life.
In his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Philip Keller says, “Most of us possess a formidable amount of factual information on what the Master expects of us. Precious few have the will, intention, or determination to act on it and comply with His instructions.”
My friend, the majority of our life and faith is lived out day by day in our common, mundane decisions. Will we be honest and trustworthy? Will we take care of our responsibilities before God and man? We know how to live morally and how we should treat others. We know we should practice the habits of the faith like prayer, church attendance, fellowship, and fasting. We know we should be a witness and reach out to others to share the truth with them. Yet, day by day, we let the simple things we know we should do slip by – either because we are distracted by our daily responsibilities or because we are trying to find the bigger thing; the grander thing God wants us to accomplish.
I’ve asked it myself: What is it that God wants me to do? And a good friend once answered: "I think you already know." It's true. In 99% of the choices we face in life, we already know what God wants. The problem lies in taking God's road.
This isn’t the well-worn path of all of those who have traveled before us, or the smooth paved road with the neat bridges and tunnels. It is the rutted footpath over to the side that traverses streams and hills and valleys and mountains. In fact, the most rewarding paths are usually the toughest. The best views in nature are enjoyed by those willing to travel off the beaten path to find the unspoiled territory that humans have not yet corrupted or trampled.
As we know, the path to eternal life with God is the road less traveled. “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14 KJV).
Look at how the Message version puts it: “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.”
If you have ever gone hiking or trail running, you know that this is true. You are not running down a smooth, clear road looking straight ahead. Here, you must keep looking down to make a sure footing, or you may roll your ankle or fall. You may veer off onto what you think is the path, only to find it’s really a game trail or a clearing that took you in the wrong direction. We cannot just meander our way down the trail through life and expect to arrive at our destination. It takes intentional effort. Care. Determination. Sweat. Grit. It is vigorous and requires our total attention.
If we are not focused on God, we will not hear Him. He can’t come in second to any career, hobby, or interest. He wants to be our Number One and He is not going to compete for it. To hear His voice, we must quiet all the other voices in life that shout at us – because His is the still, small voice (I Kings 19:12). This takes work, discipline, and intentional awareness.
We may be in a rush to get home from the store, but He asks us to witness to the cashier. We may be tempted to binge on Netflix or take some mind altering substance to escape the stresses of life – but He whispers to us to trust Him and He will help us face our challenges.
Do we hear God when He speaks? It could be a burden He puts on our hearts; a little nudge or revelation while reading His word; a gentle rebuke in prayer; a loving reminder from a friend or even a stranger on the street.
What if He says I want you to preach to the lost instead of building your career? Or to be a wife who supports her husband, sacrificing financial security for the call of God? Whose voice will we listen to? With so many voices calling out, how can we distinguish God’s voice from all the others? How will we really know if it is Him?
Wherever it comes from, you can be sure that His voice will never contradict His word. In John 10:27 Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (NLT). We know God’s voice as we get to know Him. We become accustomed to what He sounds like and what His character is like. We find out who He is.
When the chaos of life seizes our attention, He says Come sit for a while at My feet and find peace. The more we sit in God’s presence – praying, reading our bibles and listening for His voice – and quiet the other voices and worries in our lives, the more in tune we are to hear when He speaks.
Maybe it seems that God’s voice is silent right now. Trust the process. Do what you already know to do, continuing steadfast and consistent in His word. In His own due time He will tell you what is next, when you are ready.
We can be sure that if He sought us out and drew us to Himself for salvation, He will also draw us to our specific calling: the purpose He created us for. There is no greater joy in life than doing what God has called you to do! And we don’t have to go it alone – He holds our hand all the way. Psalm 37:23-24 puts it this way: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (NLT).
David let God lead him down His path. In the psalms, he often asks God to enlarge his steps, to keep him from slipping and falling, and to help him lean on His word. When things looked bad, David refuses to take matters into his own hands. He holds on and trusts God to bring him into his destiny as king, and he looks forward to living with Him forever.
Our awesome God doesn’t leave us to navigate life alone! As we walk with Him, He will mold our hearts, bringing us from a place of turmoil to a place of willing obedience, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
So which will it be? Will you take the smooth, easy path that requires no thought or preparation – the effortless one we will all travel by default? Or will you allow God to take you down that rough, rocky trail where you will need His guiding hand?
Will you determine to follow God no matter the cost and to be intentional in your walk with Him? Will you ask Him to change your will to His will for your life? Are you willing to take the road less traveled, where travelers of old have found the path to life?
Jesus is beckoning. If you trust your life to Him, He will lead you to the most beautiful place of all. “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16 KJV).