Troding Carefully

It's reading week. I've only seen a bit of snow recently, which was remnant of the epic snowfall earlier this winter on the west coast, but I was reminded in my thoughts today of walking through deep snow on the way to school. From the place where I park, you can either take the long way around to the Education Building, or you can cut through a small grassy area and walk about half the distance. A couple weeks ago we had a good dump of snow. I came to the shortcut path and it had been all covered over in about 6" of snow, all except for one set of footprints. I decided to try to follow the path by putting each step in the exact place as the trail blazer. If you don't quite step in the right spot, you get snow in your shoes... wet socks... and frustration for hours.

Through our lives we need to trod just as carefully. Psalm 128:1 tells us, "Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!" (ESV). It is an amazing thing for the believer to know that they will be blessed if they follow His ways. We know that His ways are righteousness, and thus we will always be walking according to the will of God (Psalms 23:3). If we are in the will of God then we know that whatever happens to us in this life is working together for good (Romans 8:28). Sorrows happen. Joy happens. Happiness happens. Sadness happens. Tragedy strikes. Whatever happens in the will of God, we know will work for good.

What an amazing thing it is to be blessed. In OT times especially, people were seeking blessing. The children sought the blessing of their father. Friends sought blessing from their friends. The righteous, as we should be, sought blessing from the Lord. We are blessed in Christ with spiritual blessing in the heavenlies (Eph 1:3).

That path through the snow begins to grow bigger and wider. People don't quite step right in the print of the last fellow, and break away more snow until the path is wide. We should be set on keeping that path in our life as only one set of prints. Tread carefully, stay close to the Lord in the paths of righteousness and we will find ourselves in a satisfied and righteous life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

I Love Your Ways - Newboys

They shine like dawn on an open Psalm
A knowing smile from something You said
I hunger for the daily bread of Your ways
Ah, the bread of Your ways
They glow like blue in a field of black
Illuminating the runway ahead
I love to follow the angel tread of Your ways
Ah, the tread of Your ways

Chorus:
I love Your ways (Your true, Your perfect ways)
I love Your ways (so beautiful to me)
Lovely always (and faithful to restore)
I love Your ways

And when I tire, they bring a second wind
A word in season, a gleam in Your eye
I love to feel the runner's high of Your ways
Ah, the high of Your ways
I lived so long under basement floors
The flickering lights, the windowless gloom
I'm here to stay in the upper room of Your ways
Ah, the room of Your ways

I need Your good word speaking
When there's nothing to say
I need Your Spirit here
Breathing on me every day
Every night I need Your love's pure light
And I've learned forever to trust
Ever to follow
Ever I'll praise Your everlasting ways
(Your everlasting ways
Your everlasting ways)