Chapter 3

4That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel. 

1 Kings 2:4

31So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are really my disciples. 32And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

John 8:31

As long as we dwell on this earth we are travelers down the path of life. There is always two paths we can go by. There is the path of the world which is wide and there is a path of truth. We are never in a state in which we are neither winning or losing: refreshing or decaying, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Resting restores and refreshes the body, mind, and soul. Resting too long can cause the joints to grow stiff, the mind to dull, and the spirit to dehydrate. Eating strengthens the body. Eating too much causes the body to become fat. It is important to be mindful of points of transition in this regard. Though, if we were to dwell in the aura of pure truth, our actions would optimally be guided by divine intervention, governed by our will alone.

Regardless of the path we chose, the devil relentlessly weaves his web of confusion. He whispers in our ears that we are not worthy. He blinds us of the existence of another path. He presents the path of the world as being the path of truth, encouraging us to strive after goals outside of the great commission God has mandated. Our goals and shiny objects along the way become our God. Still we are totally oblivious of the path of truth. 

22You don’t know what you’re worshiping. We know what we’re worshiping, for salvation comes from the Jews. 23Yet the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Indeed, the Father is looking for people like that to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 

John 4:22

Knowing that there are two paths is critical. Knowing the truth well enough to discern which path to take determines life or death throughout eternity. Knowing Jesus is to know the truth. We never stop traveling through life. We don’t know when we will be called to the Lord. We need to know now. There may be no tomorrow. 

The path we choose may not always be clear. We may need to listen and travel toward God’s still small voice though we can not see where He is taking us. 

Sometimes we need to trust what God is telling us and go with it, without understanding why.

There was an engineer who liked to run at lunchtime. Despite numerous calls to the maintenance department, the showers were always cold. One day another man had just finished his shower and was drying himself when the engineer said to him, “I wish they’d fix the water heater.” The man replied, “It’s always hot for me.” He continued to explain that you have to turn on both showers first then wait. One will get hot the other will stay cold. But, neither will get hot if you only turn one on and wait. The engineer did what the man said and enjoyed a hot shower that day and everyday thereafter. He spent some time trying to understand from an engineering standpoint how it was that the water got hot as it did. Then one day he came to realize that he might never know. 

In the end, the word of God provides warmth and comfort. Just take it as it is and be thankful, even if you don’t understand why along the way. When we know our Father in heaven we also trust Him, even when we do not understand.

The path of truth is often difficult. Our Father in heaven knows where it will take us.  When we are weary we need consult Him. He will always provide us with a new outlook of hope. He will make our days on earth the best they were meant to be, planned from the beginning of time. When we choose our own path, we are diverted away from many gifts God set for us. 

When you become weary think not of pain, concentrate on that which you know to be true according to the Lord and the promise of God’s love and compassion as our heavenly father.