Meditation

Read Psalm 119:25-32

You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy.—Psalm 16:11 (NRSV)

I visit Oregon’s beautiful Cascade Mountains whenever I can. The many well-marked walking paths lead to a variety of wonderful sights. But two pieces of advice are given to all hikers: don’t stray off the main path, and don’t hike alone.

Ignoring either piece of advice can be very dangerous and sometimes fatal. While many things along the way look inviting, it is easy to get lost in the woods. If you’re alone and lost, no one may come looking for you until it is too late. Unfortunately, each year some people ignore these warnings and then pay a heavy price for it.

Many times I have ignored good advice—going my own way and pursuing a mode of living that I thought was better. Each time I paid a price, sometimes a heavy one, for my mistake. Fortunately for me, good people along the way helped me find my path back to living as God wants me to live. I have learned, sometimes the hard way, that God’s way is the only way to live a peaceful and complete life. God has marked the trail that I want to follow.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, always be our guide, for without you we are truly lost. Amen.

Thought for the day: My path is always clearer when God is my guide.

—Mark A. Carter, Oregon