There’s something better than the most efficient, predictable path
By Chuck Sackett*
I love that the Bible is not a naïve list of dos and don’ts nor a simplified code of conduct. Scripture creates a world of tensions, thought-inducing paradoxes. It causes us to wonder at its brilliance, wither at its demands, wrestle with its tensions, withdraw previously held convictions, and, ultimately, yield to new, more helpful understandings.
One of my favorite verses seems so incredibly clear. The writer of Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Simple, right? Trust God and everything goes well.
But what are you supposed to think when it doesn’t? What happens when the paths aren’t straight? What happens when life takes turns you weren’t expecting, you wouldn’t choose? It’s not like that’s hypothetical for most of us.
What happens when the paths aren’t straight?
We’re driven back to rethink the text. We start asking questions. Did I not trust with my “whole” heart? Even when I thought I was discerning God’s will, was I just projecting my understanding of life on him? Maybe I didn’t choose to acknowledge him in some area of my life. Surely the problem is in me…my level of trust…my ability to learn…my acknowledgment of Him.
Worth the journey
Just over a year ago, Gail and I hiked to Chimney Rock in Oregon. From the parking lot it appears to be a couple thousand feet above you. An impossible climb for anyone except those trained in serious rock climbing. For mortals to get there, you follow a 1.5-mile trail that often goes in the opposite direction of the destination. You go around a serious ravine or two; you turn an impossibly steep climb into an accessible (though strenuous) hike. And the destination is certainly worth the journey.
Robert Linder photo
My friend, Donald Sunukjian, preached a sermon based on the story of Israel’s Exodus called “The Shortest Distance between Two Points is a Crooked Line.” It defies the mathematical axiom and even questions common sense. But without the journey through the wilderness, Israel would have missed the manna each morning, the water from the rock, the abundance of quail, the Ten Commandments, and the protective care of the Father.
Interstate people?
I fear we’ve become Interstate people. Just tell the GPS to give the straightest, fastest route and then climb on I-70 and see nothing but mile markers for hours. What a different experience is had by those who drive the Rising to the Sun highway in Glacier National Park. You are treated to magnificent vistas and scenic overlooks, simply a beautiful drive. But you have to be on your toes, alert at all times. It’s a journey.
Straight paths? Overrated. Boring. Misunderstood. Straight paths is more about the journey than the efficiency. Straight paths is more about the destination than the clock. If the goal for a believer is to experience the presence of God, to become the presence of God to others, then the journey is what enables us to do so with authenticity.
The problem may not be our level of trust…our leaning on the wrong understanding…our acknowledgment of him. The problem may be that we prefer predictable, uneventful travel over the privilege of seeing what God might have in store if we took the final destination more seriously.
To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page. To download a printable version of today’s post, click here.
*Today’s guest post comes from Chuck Sackett, who retired in January after more than 23 years of service with Madison Park Christian Church in Quincy, Illinois.