Straight and Clear Roads

My morning walk is a wonderful jumpstart to each day.  It's an exercise for body and spirit.  I have a favorite route that I've walked for years.  And on that route, I have a favorite section.  As I walked this morning and came to that particular section, I felt the energetic excitement as I approached it.  I thought, "why do I love this part the most?"  In my head I began to formulate the answers.  It's about half a mile of straight road.  You can see the end of it.  It's my half-way point.  There are no homes ie. no cars pulling out of driveways, no barking dogs, not as much traffic, no mailboxes to dodge, or other people walking.  There is a clear and vast view of the sky that accentuates the bigness of the One True God to whom I am praying.  This accelerates my excitement in conversation with Him as to His power.

As I thought about these things, I transferred the picture to the Christian life.  We tend to walk more energetically in our spiritual life when we have clear pictures or purpose.  But when problems hit, we tend to allow them to affect our walk.  We falter when the road becomes winding and we don't know what's around the next turn.  We move slower under the pressure because we can't see an end to the problem; it seems to go on forever.  There are so many hindrances of every shape and size that affect our responses.  Fear, anxiety, busyness, obstacles and the problems of others can obstruct our view of purpose and cause us to lose focus.  We forget the power we have because we fail to appropriate the means God has provided.

We must gird up our loins, buckle down, stretch our spiritual muscles and "run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith".   (Hebrews 12:2)  Our walk will have ups and downs, twists and turns but we do not walk alone.  He will give us what we need to endure the hard and revel in the easy.  We must not lose ground with hardship and must not become prideful with smooth sailing.  Either way is a giving in to the enemy.  Run with perseverance and beware of the "roaring lion".  God gives us the guidance and protection in both instances.  May your morning walks be glorious with the Light of the glory of His power.  "Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and might things you do not know."  (Jeremiah 33:3)  Do not fail to appropriate the means God has provided to us as believers.