“If you want to live well,
make sure you understand all of this.
If you know what’s good for you,
you’ll learn this inside and out.
God’s paths get you where you want to go.
Right-living people walk them easily;
wrong-living people are always tripping and stumbling.” Hosea 14:9MSG
“We love Your ways, We love Your name.”
I have literally been singing this line for the better part of 2 weeks. And to be completely honest, I cannot remember if this is the chorus to a worship song that somehow got stuck in my subconscious, or if it is a prophetic declaration from Holy Spirit, about my life, that He wanted me to both write on and share. However, whatever it may be, today I decided to lean into it.
As I was focusing on this phrase, I began to search the Scriptures to see if this was true. (Worthy Side note: I am a firm believer in the need to test everything that I receive in the Spirit by the standard and plumb line of the Word of God!) And sure enough as usual one of the Old Testament Prophets, had picked up the same thing, over several millennia ago. This was none other than the prophet Hosea. Writing to God's people, he carried a deep revelation on this topic; leaning heavily into God's commandment to follow to dive into the depths of His ways and in turn follow through with the calling He had set forward.
As I reflect on the need for my generation to obtain some type of guide-post on the plan and path of the Lord for us, I believe I would be correct in stating that it all begins with the “Way of the Lord.” So much has been made of the paths of life which millennials choose. I cannot bear to count the entirety of times that I recall hearing the phrase, “choose the right path and do the right thing,” as I was growing. Both in and out of school there was a major emphasis on deciding within myself to do the right thing, but not much emphasis on how to do the right thing, or even find the tools of directions to accomplish that.
Therefore, in my own mind, I began to develop this ideology that choosing my own path and making the right decisions would look like walking down a long road of my decisions and producing results in my own strength.
Growing up I can remember studying these words in great depth:
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth…” (read the rest here)
Sound familiar? This is the famous poetic work of art is, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. Growing up, this was such a major part of my life, school, and education; that it ultimately fashioned how I thought, acted, and even how I made my decisions. However, within this paradigm, there was not a lot of room made for the “Way of the Lord.” I can remember hearing sermons, where the words of John the Baptist were quoted with holy fire, “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!” But again, I didn’t know what that meant, let alone posses a desire to walk in this mysterious, yet infamous way.
But recently, somewhere along the line and in my walk with the Lord, the reality became true that there is a way, and I had been presented with a choice to walk this way of the Lord or to take my own path (whatever that may be). Now, I must admit that I do not have a full understanding of this, but I know that there is something different in me than before. It is almost as if I have taken ahold of the same revelation that Hosea received, many hears ago. That the path of God is open and readily available for me to walk in. However, it is my choice to travel it, but in the same fashion, I don’t do it alone or inexpressibly my own power.
This has been one of the most difficult truths for me to understand, as of yet! How is it that I have to choose the way of the Lord, and walk therein…But He, with love and grace, offers me an open invitation to the path and the grace and strength to walk through it? I may never have a full answer to this, but I can say without doubt, I am grateful that it is this way, rather than another way.
Find me on the way,
SCP