The Straight Path

Devotional for Saturday, January 26, 2002 by Karen Knuff

We have a six-month-old puppy, named Sandi, who is just learning to heel and stay close to me as I walk along. Unfortunately, there are many distractions along the path, like "p-mail", you know, what other dogs leave as their own messages! There are also interesting opportunities. Since she is a Golden Retriever puppy, she wants to play with everyone. When a dog crosses our path, uh oh! Off she goes, pulling madly on the leash, and furiously wagging her tail. I have her on a long retractable leash, so I can always bring her back. I cannot trust her, right now, to come back on her own.

I thought about how this might be similar to our Christian lives. We, too, have minor distractions, like everyday housework, that sometimes keep us from reading our Bibles and praying. We have our own priorities, but sometimes they are not what God wants them to be.

We, too, see wonderful opportunities. It might be a new relationship with someone. Can we trust ourselves to know whether it will work out? Perhaps we think we have found our dream home. But what if it turns out to have all kinds of problems -- can we trust our instincts, our impulses? It helps to converse with God on a regular basis in order for us to stay on the right path.

Life is full of surprises, good and bad, and God is the only one who can help us to make the right decisions. But we have to pray and ask Him for guidance. On my kitchen wall, I have little plaque that reads, "As you start your day, did you think to pray?"

If we stray from where God wants us to go, it is okay. God loves us more than we can imagine. He will forgive us and pull us back onto the right path. We cannot trust ourselves, but we can always trust God.

Prayer: Lord God, we love You so much. Forgive us for not seeking Your directions first, before we jump into something. Teach us how to trust You in everything that we do. Fill us with an unending desire to seek You first. Thank You that we can trust you to keep us on the straight path. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Karen Knuff <karen-knuff@shaw.ca>
Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

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