You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11
As a rule, being lost causes a fair amount of frustration. Marie and I visited Red Rock Canyon this week. During our excursion we attempted to see pictographs on some of the rocks. Sadly that didn’t happen. The scenic drive through the canyon is a 13 mile one way road and there was a right turn onto a short two way road that we missed. Since we had time, we decided to circle around again. On our second attempt, we successfully made the turn and found the parking area. However, our lack of familiarity with the paths and the absence of a good trail map left us lost and wandering on steep and rocky paths. Out of time and lacking good directions, we gave up our search and returned to our car defeated. For His children, God offers a path to peace. Sadly, we often fail to experience the fullness of tranquility, joy and pleasure that our Savior desires for us because we lose our way. Similar to our excursion to Red Rock Canyon, it’s common for Christians to get lost on the path to peace because of ignorance, distraction or rejection.
Make me know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Psalm 25:4
On our excursion, we failed to accomplish our goal because we were ignorant and the information provided verbally was incomplete. The same is often true of Christians. We fail to experience true peace because we are ignorant of God’s precepts and wisdom. One would expect a fair amount of ignorance for those new to faith in Christ. However, persistent immaturity, lack of diligent biblical study and the absence of godly mentors are other causes of spiritual ignorance. Whether inadvertent, due to laziness or a choice, ignorance will always leave us wanting and predisposes us to look for peace from the world’s perspective rather than seeking the peace offered by Christ (John 14:27). If we are to stay on the pathway to sure and lasting peace, we must be diligent in our efforts to pursue God’s wisdom and ask our Heavenly Father to teach us His ways.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments. Psalm 119:176
Whether considering the course of life experiences or spiritual challenges, distractions often cause us to get lost on the pathway to peace. My wife and I missed our turn because we were focused on the main road and distracted by the beautiful scenery rather studying the map in hand. For those seeking peace in all areas of life, distractions come in the form of busyness, overwhelming circumstances and the enticement of sin. While we should avoid laziness, being too busy often leaves us so preoccupied and exhausted that we have no time to settle our souls. Even our church schedules can become so full that it is impossible to experience peace. It takes wisdom to sort out the truly useful activities from the unnecessary ones. Our trials can also distract us from what we know to be true. We become so focused on our circumstances, pain, frustration or grief that we become filled with fear and “anxiously look about” rather than bringing our concerns before God and trusting that He will guide, strengthen, and sustain us. Rather than behaving like Peter who became distracted by a large wave rather than looking to Christ to lift him up, we need to be more like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who remained confident in and faithful to God as they faced a fiery furnace. Finally, there is sin. Whether we are seeking a diversion from our pain or are inadvertently enticed, we need to repent and trust in our Lord to help us overcome it as we cannot know peace while we are living contrary to His precepts. No matter what distractions arise, constant communion with God will provide the direction necessary to overcome the busyness of life, mature through our trials, abandon the sin that entangles us, and allow the peace which surpasses understanding to invade our lives.
Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:14
The last and most grievous means of getting lost on the path to peace is rejection. We can’t enjoy peace when we reject God’s precepts because they seem to be restrictive, His plan for our life because it seems too difficult, or His desire to mature our faith because it seems to take too much effort. Rejection moves us away from our Lord and opens the door to bitterness, frustration, and anger. God commands us to be thankful in all circumstances because they are His will for us. When our love for and trust in God is reflected by our obedience and thankfulness, we draw near to God and allow Him to work in and through us to mature our faith, equip us for service, and fill us with peace. Complete trust, obedience, thankfulness is often a struggle as we battle cultural wisdom, our desire for comfort, and the suffering that trials bring, but Christ is the perfect intercessor. He understands our weaknesses and fears. He invites us to look to Him to sustain and guide us so that we can experience peace in this life as well as eternity.
Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Our failure to find our way to the pictographs at Red Rock Canyon did not ruin the trip. Because we focused on what we could enjoy rather than what we missed, we had a lovely morning together and enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation. Further, in the grand scheme of life, it was a minor issue. However, there have been times in our life together that one or both of us have failed to experience the peace of God because we were ignorant, distracted, or rejected God’s plan for us. Career challenges, difficult and broken relationships as well as health issues have caused us to struggle and lose our way. Thankfully, God has been patient with us and continues to increase our understanding of His wisdom and precepts while maturing our faith through life experiences. We may fail and lose our way , but we are more quickly redirected than in the past because through our trials God has taught us to trust Him, to look to Him to sustain us, to seek His help and direction, to ask for forgiveness, and to look at our lives from the His perspective as best we can.
Throughout scripture we are told to pursue peace. Our loving and faithful Heavenly Father desires to make known the path of life and teach us His ways. In every circumstance, Christ intercedes on our behalf and sustains us. The Holy Spirit willingly and patiently instructs us. If we are to find true and lasting peace, we must: diligently seek God’s instruction to overcome our ignorance; stay focused on God rather than the distractions of life; and thankfully accept His will for our lives. This is the path to peace and life everlasting.