Will You Follow God's Path?

One of the most familiar verses we hear in church is, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). The Bible should be the central light to see God’s path for the Christian. God’s light is challenging to both Christians and those searching for faith because light exposes both the good and the bad. Even though we see where to go, walking on the path is up to the individual. As you read this blog, I hope you will see that God’s light doesn’t just reveal our “bad things” but that His light is what allows us to see our “good things.” We want to of course avoid the pitfalls and traps of this world, but if you have fallen into one of these holes, the light will show you how to escape and resume the path God has for you. As we go through the Bible, we will see the light of God. There will be some days of darkness that confront us, but there will also be days where we see good aspects of the light God gives us in His word. While your path is unique as a believer, there will be similarities with others that can be seen through God’s light in His Word. It is necessary to discuss several key areas of what it looks like to walk in God’s light, and we will look at them together.

What Is our Path?

The short answer to this daunting question is that everyone has a unique path, but the starting point is always the same. To be walking on this path means that you must have a personal relationship with Christ. Scripture makes evident that those who accept Christ –His sheep– will follow His voice and follow Him (John 10:27-28). So if you have this personal relationship with God, as you read this post, your path has begun, and you are currently somewhere along the journey. For this post, we will talk about the beginning of the journey. For some, this could be a time of reflection on how you began walking with God and hopefully, it will re-energize you as memories come back on this monumental decision.

Secondly, to see the path, you must understand the light. This is accomplished through the Bible. As we alluded to earlier, the Word of God is the light we should pay attention to. As Christians, we must pay attention to trustworthy light sources rather than those that appear right but actually want to catch our attention instead of guide our steps. Spending time in the Word and listening to the Holy Spirit will aid you when tempted to stray off course or look at a path that could lead to disastrous choices.

The next step is getting involved in a local church assembly; this way, you are not alone and have individuals you can rely on to help you along the way. I am reminded of a personal example of a new path. I switched schools during my high school years, and it was overwhelming upon arriving at the campus. However, when I arrived at the new student orientation, I was met by individuals from the student body that not only gave me a tour of the building but helped me locate the essential areas of the school. They also did things in the auditorium to help me get to know my fellow students and introduced me to the people who could help me in a time of need. This time was essential to my comfort in school as I no longer felt isolated in a new environment. This isolation is why, for the Christian, it is so vital to be a part of the local church body. One, you interact with people of similar faith and realize you are not alone. Second, there will be people who help you when you encounter a problem and guide you along the way. Third, as some have been Christians for a while, they can guide you through parts of the Bible that are available to help you in your time of need. We will address some of these crucial aspects as this develops, but having someone nearby is always beneficial. Finally, the more experienced Christians seek a new person who needs a friend to encourage them as they build their walk with Christ as a new believer.

The Bible’s light illuminates the following essential aspects about where you are to go in life. It goes without saying that God has a plan for you based on your unique skill sets and abilities. We are reminded by the prophet Jeremiah that before we were born, God knew who we were and that we were set apart for a specific purpose. Several others, including David, repeat this in Psalm 71:6 and Paul to the church of Galatia in the first chapter of his letter to them.

The discovery of your path means that you must follow the light portrayed in the Bible. This newly founded path requires you to talk to Him, listen to Him, and be willing to obey Him. It will not be straightforward; otherwise, many would be alongside you. However, it is a path in which, as a believer, you will have Christ by your side, and He will provide you with the necessary steps to complete the design of your life.

What does your specific path look like? While the Bible doesn’t give us the details of what it looks like, it is safe to say that it will be something that honors Christ based on your talents and abilities. So the first thing we need to do is think about our strengths: perhaps you are talented musically, maybe you are talented in a particular skill, or you are very compassionate and willing to lend a listening ear.

If you are a new believer, this is where the path begins: developing your communication with God and seeking guidance on the path He desires for you to be on. This path is a challenging one and it will take time to complete. There will be times when hardships arise as you are on this path, but the Bible’s light is designed to help you so you will continue on the journey. God has created the plan for your life, and when the race is completed, you will hopefully hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, NKJV).

For now, let’s stop at the rest stop and spend our time with God, and then we can begin by seeing what could be on our path and how the Bible’s light can guide us alongside the journey.

What Am I Looking for in My Walk?

If God has a path, what signs will lead me in the right direction? The sign is not a thing but a person – The Holy Spirit. When in an unfamiliar area, many people usually have one of two things (if not both): a map and a guide to show them the way. The great news for the Christian is that we already have both things. As we discussed earlier, the Holy Spirit is our guide, and the map we need is the Scriptures given to us. The thing about our path is that both of these items work in tandem with each other. When you use both, it becomes very evident what the path is that God’s light is revealing to us.

Let’s look at the Holy Spirit first – which could be an in-depth study taking many months, if not years, to fully get the concept. However, if we look at the basics of the Holy Spirit, we see He was given to humanity as a replacement for Christ, who ascended into Heaven after His death and resurrection. This example is given to us in John 14:26, which tells us that God sends the Spirit to teach us all things and remind us of what we have been taught. The correlation between this multifaceted purpose of the Holy Spirit explains why the Holy Spirit is our guide. When a guide goes with you, they often point things out to remind you of some piece of information that you have been told before. The guide will also make you aware of previously unknown things now that you are in an unfamiliar area. The importance of the Holy Spirit is not to be taken lightly, as we are warned not to quench the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Many Christians struggle because the Holy Spirit has taught them something to avoid. Still, they continue to do it, ignore past teachings, and run to the things of this world. Knowledge and wisdom from the Holy Spirit lead to discernment which leads to the rationale for a decision. Proverbs 18:15 reminds us of this, as we are advised that the heart of the discerning acquires knowledge. We may come back to the Holy Spirit in a later discussion, but for now, let’s leave it here with the understanding that the Holy Spirit's primary role is to teach us new things as well as bring to memory the things we have been taught so that we can discern the right path for our lives.

Let’s now turn our attention to the role of the Bible and how it guides our lives. This study would also take extensive time and still leave things untaught. However, the Bible is the historical record of a chosen people, Israel, and the things they were taught to have a direct relationship with God the Father. If someone was to ask you what the Bible is, how would you describe it? Your answer defines how you interact with the Bible. Some people look at it as a book of do’s and dont’s and then, as a result, form a negative connotation because they know they cannot meet all the criteria contained in the writings.

A second example of how people perceive the Bible is that it is a historical book with many characters with great morals and principles that show how people used to live. With this mindset, an individual would feel that it can be useful for reference, but it does not apply to people today because it is more than likely not relevant in today’s society. Winston Churchhill famously said: “Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” We can learn from others who have gone before us and often avoid the consequences of a wrong action.

A third view of the Bible might be that it is too complex and difficult to understand; therefore, people don’t want to know what it says. A final example might be that, because of misperceptions based on previous experiences, people think it is a book not to be trusted because those who supposedly have read it and applied it to their lives offended and hurt others.

Many have offered these reasons to distrust or disregard the Bible, but we can see several reasons people can trust it. The first is that it contains the oldest manuscripts known to humankind. It has already survived for thousands of years, meaning it must have vital information. Secondly, while it is true that there are acceptable and unacceptable things in God’s eyes, as the creator and author, the Bible is merely there to help us avoid the consequences wrong choices will lead us into. In addition, we are given examples of individuals who made the right choices and some who didn't and showed us the consequences of both. Finally, many people do not understand the Bible because they forget their guide, who is there to help teach us the things we do not know.

What is Good and Bad on our Path?

The thing about our path is that there will be good and evil. When we come to a fork in the road to speak or act, it is then that we should earnestly seek God’s will and take the necessary steps to continue along the way God has for us. The challenge comes when evil things are placed along the path to tempt us. We are cautioned against this in Hebrews with the example of Moses, who had to choose between the luxuries of Egypt, which often resulted in sin, or the faith of Israel. If Moses chose his leadership position in Egypt, which would have afforded him earthly luxuries, it is possible that He would have not only met the same demise as Pharaoh at the Red Sea, but he also would have been replaced as the deliverer of Israel. He would also have missed out on many of the miracles and opportunities to serve God in the deliverance of His people. By Moses instead choosing to follow God, He was able to fully see what God would do in following the path laid out for him. Proverbs also reminds us that choosing the wrong path could have disastrous consequences, including death (Proverbs 14:12). To avoid this when we are unsure what to do, the first thing is to ask God in prayer, the second to seek guidance from a trusted Christian brother or sister, and third and equally important, to seek the Holy Spirit’s advice.