As my husband and I walked recently, I looked down in the grass and wondered what could have made the two-track trail there.
It didn’t seem wide enough to have been the wheels of our golf cart, and just as I started suspecting someone of trespassing on a four-wheeler, it occurred to me how often we walk through the woods near our house.
We walk a lot of laps as we talk through our days and decisions, news and notions, arguments and agreements. Sheer repetition has made an impression.
That same week, I was reading an adventure story with my son. We read: “But if you know anything about woods, you will know that one is always finding imaginary paths. They disappear after about five minutes and then you think you have found another… and after you have been well lured out of your right direction, you realize that none of them were paths at all.”
At our daughter’s cross country meet, a friend encountered this difficulty as she was running in the 3K race. She was behind the other runners and couldn’t see where the path led because it wasn’t clearly marked. Her confusion and distress as many spectators yelled that she was going the wrong way made me do something I rarely do: run.
I ran down the path and caught up to her. I ran beside her and pointed out which way she should go. I encouraged her to keep going when I knew I couldn’t keep the pace anymore. (I really am not a runner!) I knew it would have been more helpful to our friend if the path had been a little more well-worn and well-marked. Half-paths through the grass led her nowhere near the finish line.
In Psalm 119, “way” is mentioned eleven times, both as a well-worn path and a journey.
The well-worn path and the long-distance journey both play a role in our walk with the Lord. The journey is important because it helps us arrive at our final destination, but the well-worn path is even more important because it helps us conform our character to Christ’s as we walk.
When we refuse to walk beside the Lord Jesus, rejecting His invitation to make those well-worn ways in our lives- prayer, Bible reading, Scripture meditation, and solitude with Him- a priority, we prove that “all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way…”
When we go our own way, the well-worn path gets overgrown, and the paths we choose for ourselves disappear in dangerous forests, leaving us lost. He jumps in the race, catching up to us, running beside us, pointing out the way we should go. (And He is a much better runner than I!)
When we get in the habit of walking beside the Lord, discussing with Him all of our days and decisions, news and notions, arguments and agreements, then we have established a well-worn path following Him along the journey to our final destination.
“Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me Your law! I have chosen the way of faithfulness…I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!”
The Well-Worn Path