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Topic: Paths (05/17/04)
TITLE: Preparations of my life’s Paths By Deborah Shepard 05/20/04 |
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Trusts in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3: 5-6 NIV)
This scripture passage states so clearly to me, whom I am to acknowledge and whose understanding I should lean on daily. For through this process my life’s paths will be made straight. This week’s topic brought a passage, of my days of a youthful adventure with close friends. This adventure took place in Eureka California; there were several of us planning to take a great hike in the mountains. Our goal was take make the top before night fall. This was going to entail about eights hours each way, so this meant and early start to precede this great feat. Of course each person had declared there expertise in this type of hiking. We were all pretty confident in each others knowledge of what to do. So the plan was implemented three people were to stay at the camp site, to watch over things and four of us would do this hike. The paths can be very misleading for where the campsite was no snow was to found. But as we proceeded along the paths, things were quite different, there was an enormous amount of snow left on our chosen paths. Well the test of wills were rising high, do we turn back and try another time, or proceed forward. A few were determined to follow through, even though our paths ahead clearly shown us they were impassable. The snow was waist deep and there were fresh mountain lion tracks every where. At this point I made a firm declaration; I’m heading back to camp and try this another time. Well you can only quests the other three were going to go ahead anyway. I fealty the presence of the Lord, around us warning do not pass at this time. Suddenly we all had made the decision to return camp together. This could only been through divine guidance of the Lord. Had we not obeyed this course, we all could have met face to face with the mountain lions.
Oh the chance we take in the days of our youth, we like the paths of excitement and challenge, it is a great way to be entertained in youth. It’s now been thirty years since this little life adventure, but the lesson I learned had enormous impact on my life. When I think of my life in the vast frontier, it is breath taking and very exhilarating as well. There are many scenic views to behold and explore. Yes it is possess a certain fascination and exciting life challenge. But if you travel any of these paths unprepared for unforeseen events that may take place. You may encounter more than a mountain lion like in Califorina,you will encounter wild bears, and moose as well as other wild life. I hear stories every day of people venturing out to wilderness with their human wisdom and expertise and knowledge. If you leave the Lord out of this equation, you countless stories of drastic consequences. Whether you traveling by air, land or the oceans and seas. Before I go anywhere in Alaska daily, these are my survival items I always carry. My GPS, my covering shall be (Psalms 91 NIV); prayer of protection, my water is the living word. My flashlight is the light of the Lord Jesus Christ, shining on my paths daily. My cell phone will have unlimited minutes to connect with the Lord. My first aid kit will be the great physician healer the Lord. My Manuel will always be the instructions of Holy Scripture. Frequently I hear people talk of the (GPS), whenever traveling, what came to my mind was God’s, protecting signals to me. So in my daily life paths I will always carry my spiritual survival kit with me. As well as the regular survival items with daily, so I’m fully equipped to travel down my daily life’s paths. This caption mentions in (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV) Trust in the way of the Lord. Commit your way to the Lord. Like Israel’s forefathers, who trusted in the God and were rescued. Acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths. In my daily life I will always choose these paths, which lead me to his promises, for inner peace, spiritual life principals, and daily spiritual conduct. That will keep me from not leaning, on my own understanding and human knowledge, so my life’s paths can remain straight. What a glorious life blessing this has been for me to learn. This has been reverent time for me still house sitting in the Sutton wilderness for next eighteen days. I keep in touch with my loved ones daily, we exchange the upcoming life paths we will undertaking. Also this has been the wonderful time of my life’s paths, venturing through the knowledge and wisdom of the word. In the pristine beauty of the wilderness, communicating with the Lord, oh how my heart and soul does rejoice in him. While the sun is breaking through the clouds, shining upon the majestic mountains, which I’m viewing from the kitchen window. I do send all you wonderful life blessings, and shall the heavenly light of the Lord, shine upon each one of your life’s paths daily. Love and prayers to all of you, shall all of our life’s paths be made straight before the Lord daily.
Deborah A. Shepard