Robert Frost’s famous poem, “The Road not taken” ends with
the line: “Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled
by, and that has made all the difference.”
Of course, he doesn’t say what kind of difference it
made. It’s possible that taking
the less traveled road resulted in some hardship, which is perhaps the reason
it was less traveled in the first place.
Wouldn’t it be great if every time our roads diverged there
were a sign telling us where they led?
One of my favorite poets, Bono from U2 writes about this in
the song “Ultraviolet” when he says “Baby, baby, baby, light my way”. Okay, maybe it’s not as timeless as
Frost, but I think he’s voicing a desire that we all have. We want to know where we’re going. We want to see what lies down the path
we’re traveling.
I went to Europe in 1997 for almost 6 weeks. My friend and I used a travel guide
telling us about all of the best spots to go and the most affordable places to
eat. It was incredibly valuable to
get that information from people who had been there before.
How many of us have a GPS, or a smartphone with Google Maps
or some other tool that gives us insight into where we’re going?
How much more valuable would it be to have a tool that could give us insight in where our lives are headed? When the roads of our lives diverge in a wood, how do you know which path to take? What are you using to light your way?
Let’s be honest, none of us knows for sure what’s coming
around the next corner in our lives.
Even if we think we have it all figured out with a 5, 10 or 20-year
plan, we never know for sure when something might hit us out of the blue.
When something hits you out of left field, is there a GPS
unit that will tell you how to recalculate your life?
The author of Psalm 119 in the Bible seemed to think
so. Verse 105 says: “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path”.
Here is the answer we’ve been looking for. This fulfills the desire that we all
have. God’s word will light our way
and direct our paths.
This makes perfect sense when you think about it. God created us; God has a plan for each
of our lives. Why wouldn’t we want
to read the guidebook that will direct us on our journey? Why wouldn’t we choose to listen to the
One who sees where all the paths lead and can direct us to take the correct
one?
Imagine what it would be like to have a guide who knows
where He’s going, to walk through the maze of life with you.
God has a plan for your life; trust Him to guide you through
it.
