Just Follow the Path
I read of a young missionary pilot in South America that was assigned to fly government officials from the capital city over a portion of rain forest to conduct an evaluation of the area. Before getting into the small plane, one official asked the pilot if he knew where all of the mountain peaks were so he would not hit one. He replied, “No, but I know where they aren’t, and that is where we are going to fly!”
Just like mapping out and safely following a prescribed flight plan, God has mapped out a marked, lit path for each believer (Hebrews 12:1; Psalm 119:105). We don’t have to know where all of the off-path hazards are; we simply stay on the marked path that He has already prepared for us so we fulfill His purpose for our lives and avoid suffering “unintended” consequences from our wandering off.
In addition to God having the path mapped out for each believer, He instructs us to not lean on our own limited understanding, but rather lean on Him and He will guide us (Proverbs 3:5–6). After all, He is the one who designed the path so He knows where it goes. Why would we want to waste our time to figure it out when He already knows?
When we follow the marked path God has for us (Jeremiah 29:11), we know He will be with us, help us, and illuminate what we need to see to remain steadfast and faithful (James 1:3–4).
