Straight Paths and Mature People

Hi! It has been several weeks since I have written anything here. So I thought I would share about what the Lord has been teaching me recently.

Pastor Jon has been preaching through James and it has been such a good study and reminder to me that I should consider it Pure Joy when I go through trials of various kinds, because the testing of my faith develops perseverance!

Perseverance is a hard lesson for me. Recently I have just wanted to give up in many areas, but the Lord keeps reminding me at every turn that he wants to develop my faith more and more.

Today in my quiet time I read the following devotional and I thought it was written just for me!

Proverbs 3:6 He will make your paths straight.

The author goes on to write: This isn't a promise for an easy, obstacle-free life. There are rugged mountains to climb and deserts to cross, rivers to ford and jungles to traverse. That's where wisdom comes in.

There is a bonus in this straightening process; for in the straightening of our paths, we too are made straight. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance MUST finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in ANYTHING!!" (James 1:1-2) Struggles can be good for us if we have the wisdom to handle them. "So, if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God." (James 1:5) There you have it: As paths are made straight. people are made mature.

Proverbs 3:6 says "In all your ways acknowledge Him" What does ti mean to acknowledge the Lord in all our ways? It means to live by his Word in every circumstance, in every place we find ourselves.

A father and son were traveling to a city in a far country. The journey would take several days. As they walked over mountain passes and through forests, the boy wanted to explore things. They would enter a meadow, and the boy would want to run to the other side. If they passed a rock outcropping the boy would beg his dad to let him climb it. The boy got bolder and bolder as they journeyed. One day he wanted to go a greater distance off the road that he had ventured. The father agreed that he could, but as the boy started off, he felt a tinge of fear. He asked, "How can I know if I've wandered too far away, Father?

The father smiled and answered, "I'll call your name every few minutes and you answer. You call my name every few minutes, and I'll answer. If you get to a place where you can't hear my voice very well, you've wandered too far.

That is what it looks like to acknowledge the Lord in all of our ways. It is a picture of prayer and the Word of God--his voice calling to us, and our voice calling to him.

Prayer-O dear Father! Speak, for I am listening. And hear me when I pray. Make my paths straight and my life mature.

With all of that said, I am learning that the Lord is still working in my life to mature me in Him. Yes he has grown me up so much these past 40 years since I received him as my Savior at age 7, but he still isn't through with me. The trails, circumstances and crooked paths that I have been experiencing and even rebelling against at times, have been the one thing that the Lord is using to make my paths straight and mature me in Him.

My prayer for each of you is that the Lord is maturing you day by day. That He is taking the trials and circumstances of your life to make your paths straight so that you run to Him and Him alone.

Blessings!