Blog
Direct My Path
Aug
Shelby is my two-year-old golden retriever. She is a sweet girl with many quirks, one of which is that she loses her mind when she encounters strangers.
If she sees strangers, she completely loses her focus. It takes a lot of effort on my part to reel her back in and get her focus back on whatever adventure we may be.
A leash is helpful, but we often hike freely and let her roam near us. I’ve learned that if I see people in the distance, I can get her attention and redirect her steps so that she never even sees the people. It doesn’t mean the people aren’t there. It simply means I direct her on a path that does not cause her to lose her focus and ability to hear me. This reminds me of Proverbs 3:5-6.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Like Shelby, this does not mean no distractions can take my focus in a wasted direction. Those things still exist, but as I acknowledge Him, He will direct me off the path that blurs my focus and redirect me to a path that allows me to keep flowing.
Notice it says, “Acknowledge Him.”
What does that mean?
This word is the Hebrew word Yada—to know, be acquainted with ·, to know (a person carnally) · to be skillful ·, to have knowledge, and to be wise.
There is an intimate, personal connection to this word when it is used about man and God. To know someone requires effort and consideration, just as I raised Shelby to hear my voice and acknowledge my direction. God wants us to have an intimate relationship with him so that we can listen to His voice and His direction. In alll my ways I willfully as skillfully acknowledge God and He promises to direct my path. Either in His voice within me and/or through His voice written in scripture
Here is another place where the word yada is used.
And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,
Deuteronomy 34:10
God knew Moses face to face—wow! He had an intimate connection with Him. We also have the joy and privilege of knowing (yada) our Father.
There is another point to this story that I want to make.
Just because I foresaw what was coming and led Shelby in a different direction does not mean there was no distraction in her path. There was. I know that if she doesn’t see it, she won’t lose focus and can go about her walk in pure joy, continuing to look for rabbits (which she has Neve caught) or new treasures, as we call them, because she always picks up treasures them brings them to us like a good girl. If I chose, I could have kept them and had a room filled with her sticks, rocks, and fly-away trash bags.
Just because we flow with the Father doesn’t negate the fact that darkness may exist, but when we acknowledge Him, we get to flow in His peace that passes understanding without losing focus of the distractions around us.
Too often, we humans tend to look for darkness and acknowledge the devil/adversary and how hard he is working to mess with us. We focus on his fruit in the world, energy, and purposes. That shouldn’t be so. Instead, we should acknowledge our Father in All our ways and allow Him to direct our path. We always have a choice about what we will recognize in this life and what we focus on to grow. These things will grow around us if we focus on all the frustrations, confusion, or fear (called THE LACK OF LOVE).
If we choose to focus on the peace, goodness, and presence of love, they will grow around us.
Both exist. What we see is what we direct our focus to!
J is a great illusion of this. We travel a lot, and there are lovely, kind people around us wherever we go. That’s who we attract in all the countries and locations we visit! Why? Because that’s what we focus on. I don’t know if there are unkind people there (even in NYC); we never see them because we know and believe that there are good humans everywhere, and that’s who we attract around us!
I was told once, “If it’s not love, peace, or kindness, do not engage.”
When I engage, I give my focus.
This truth is not just on the outside of me, it’s on the inside as well. If my thoughts are not coming from love, peace, kindness then I should not be engaging with them either.
Psalms 84:11
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.
He withholds nothing good for me!
Simple trust in my God means I don’t miss out on anything that benefits me, so I don’t have to squeeze life thinking I might miss it (that’s fear, and fear has no place here).
Shelby may not know what’s done the path I redirect her onto, but she doesn’t doubt me. She doesn’t question my direction and says, “Well, what about this way we are already going? What am I missing? Oh, wait, what is that? Is that a stranger? I got to go…bark, bark, bark!”
Instead, she followed my direction, and we enjoyed the peace ahead.
But if I don’t do my part, foresee what’s ahead, and redirect her, she will indeed begin, “Oh wait, what is that? Is that a stranger? I got to go…bark, bark, bark!”
If she sees the distraction before I do, she does go that way, gets in a tizzy, scares the strangers, gets me running and yelling, and then gets back on the right path. It takes two to make this thing work. I do my part, and because we have an intimate relationship, she acknowledges me, and I direct her path.
I encourage us to keep life simple.
Focus on the light
Flow with the Father
Know His voice
Don’t let curiosity get me off the path
Allow myself to simply walk with God
I don’t have to have drama and trauma to do this Christian thing correctly. Sometimes, Christians think they have to live at and be in war in order to really serve God, but Jesus said, “Peace be still,” to the storms. He walked on them; He didn’t wallow in them.
The written voice of God says,
“Who the son sets free is free indeed. John 8:36)
He led captivity captive and gifts unto men. (Ephesians 4:8)
All of Ephesians 4…”
I can have peace, joy, kindness, edification, and ruth and see the good without hyper-focusing on the bad, evil, and darkness. The devil doesn’t have to be the scapegoat. Every time I say one thing and act in another, I see the consequences.
God is a loving Father who wants the best for me, His kid! And, as His kid, He wants me to prosper and be healthy because I have a prosperous, filled soul.
I call upon the promises that:
- He is and does direct of my path (Proverbs 3:6)
- All things work together for my good (Romans 8:28)
- He is at work within me (Philippians 2:13)
- His goodness and mercy chase me down (Psalms 23:6)
- I can think on the things that are lovely, just, honest, of a good report (Philippians 4:8)
Then, when there are strangers, a distraction, a mislead on my life path, I don’t lose my joy. I don’t run into fear mode. I don’t engage myself there. I’ll redirect to His voice and enjoy my life!
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