The Way...

The Way...

by David Brenneman 

"But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him." Psalms 37:39-40.

"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand." Psalms 37:23-24.

"Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing." Psalms 37:3-8.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.

"There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." Proverbs 14:12.

"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.

"Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts." Proverbs 21:2.

Jesus said of Himself that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through Him.  

Each of us it either tempted to make our own way or to strive for our own way to happen in our lives.   

"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel." Proverbs 12:15.

We also live among oh so many people who don't believe nor do they consider that their way isn't the right way to live life. 

From both Believers and the unbelieving this occurs all over the world. We want a truth that makes sense to us that we can live with with the least amount of confusion with the maximum amount of confidence.  

The way we seek to go, especially if we are Believers, is to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. To seek is to either mentally or physically move forward. Going from a specific position either physically or mentally towards another position. It's an intentional act or achievement that we pursue. 

Going with the flow isn't for Believers. It doesn't take much to look at the world around us to see that approach doesn't work in the least. 

The ways of this world are fraught with problems and dangers. We can easily find out that the road we are on isn't going to benefit us in the ways we hoped. 

Yet further in this thread of thought is that many people will find that they wasted the life that they were given. The desires of their hearts weren't what would have honored Jesus for all He did for them. 

We aren't here to come to Christ for salvation then establish a little slice of Heaven here on Earth.  

We aren't going to come to Christ for salvation then all these things will be added unto us that we've ever wanted or dreamed about. 

We become part of the body of Christ with a Spiritual purpose. To follow Christ as His disciples and be a light in the world for people to see and find their way to Jesus for salvation themselves.  

Worldly desires and success is worthless if it means we aren't being who Christ, through the Spirit, was trying to make us to be. 

In no part of any of the Gospels nor in the writings of all the rest of the New Testament do we find anything that says to go do your own thing it will eventually be ok.  

Nowhere are we to only walk with Jesus when it's convenient or uncombersome or unburdensome.

It's going to be a different way of living because it's supposed to be a different way of life. 

If those not yet saved don't see something different enough to ask or consider salvation in Christ for themselves then the way we're on isn't the right way. 

We can have dreams of what we want in life but we're to take those to the Lord in prayer asking Him if those things are right for us to pursue. We are not our own, we were bought with a price, the shed blood of Jesus Christ. So what goals, ambitions, we have should be vetted through prayer to find out if they're right for us after all. 

God might just have something in mind that we've never considered nor has the thought thereof ever crossed our minds. 

To come to Christ for salvation isn't just to save us from the wrath to come but to also embark on the life of a disciple of Christ Jesus. 

We have countless opportunities before us but only a heart set on God's will for us will find that which is right for us. 

There's oh so many paths that my mind want to pursue in my life. Where I am I never thought or expected myself to be. Truth be known I never saw myself as still being in this world after an extremely low point in my life in May of 1999. My pursuit of things in this world that certainly wasn't God honoring wasn't getting me into anything but trouble. My desires weren't His desires for me. My wants weren't what He wanted them to be. Through His grace and mercy I am still here today.

We aren't truly going to be going the right way in life if we aren't seeking that which Jesus wants us to be seeking.  

Jesus always weighs your heart every moment of every day. He is intimately aware of all your thoughts and intentions. He knows everything behind everything that's crossed your mind and your heart. 

He knows. He's waiting for our unhindered submission to His ways and His purpose for our lives. The Disciples did this when He called them to be His Disciples. The Disciples, in the Great Commission, were told to go make more disciples. Teaching them all that He commanded them. 

My Dear Reader it's on you to hand over all of you to all of Him in order to find the way that is right for you in Christ. 

Yes it's going to mean you aren't in control nor are you in charge. We normally are afraid when we aren't calling the shots.  

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6.

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:6-8.

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.

"Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad." Proverbs 12:25.

Ask Jesus in prayer what He wants for you and pursue it. Fear not what the future holds because you will then know your future is in His hands. 

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Colossians 3:23-24.

You will one day stand before Jesus to give an account of your life. Will it show a life that lived in submission to His will for you or will it show you in charge of it?

Will it show your way or you follow His Way?

All New American Standard Bible Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. A corporation not for profit.