CONCLUSION, REFLECT, CHALLENGE

CONCLUSION:

God’s desire to be with humanity and unwillingness to lose us help us understand why God was willing to come to Earth, accept death, and rise again. If God was willing to accept death so that we could know we are loved and how to love, it raises an important question: why would God now lead us in a way that would destroy us?

Long paths are sometimes difficult to contend with, but the greater truth is that the wrong environment can slowly erode the soul. It can convince us to walk away from the gifts and promises God has placed before us. The right path does not always mean the absence of obstacles. Sometimes the journey leads us to places that feel overwhelming, like standing in front of the “Red Seas” in our lives. But our hope is not crushed by the sea in front of us. It rests in the God who stands beside us. 

REFLECT:

Are we choosing the path of least resistance, even when it shapes our hearts in unhealthy ways? What might change if we remembered that God sees what lies ahead and leads us with love?

CHALLENGE:

This week, choose the longer path.

Take a longer walk or run. Park farther away from the entrance. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Intentionally place yourself in a situation where the journey takes more time than it normally would.

As you move along that longer path, slow down and observe. What do you notice that you might normally miss? Did you see something beautiful in nature? Did you meet new people or observe unfamiliar details you would not have seen if you had rushed past?

Pay attention to how it feels to travel more slowly, even when you know there is a quicker way. Use that moment to reflect on your own life. If God sometimes leads us along longer paths to protect and prepare us, what might he be allowing you to see, learn, or experience on the journey you are currently walking?