8-13-2023

Good Morning All,

            John 14:6; “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

    The young boy was so excited. He was going to spend a few days with his grandparents and Grandpa had promised to take him to a special fishing spot. They were going to spend the whole day fishing; he couldn’t wait. The big day finally arrived, and he and Grandpa went to bed early because tomorrow was the big day. They got up early, even before the sun did, and took off. First, they drove for a while, then they parked and got out and walked. Grandpa walked and the young boy was a little concerned. “Grandpa, are you sure this is the right way?” His grandfather told him they were on the right path, that he had come here hundreds of times in his lifetime. Yet the young boy didn’t see a smartphone with a map or a GPS marker. There were no signs or marked paths; there were only trees, hills, and the sound of water. The young boy wondered if they were going the right way or in circles or if they would ever find their way back! His grandfather kept telling the young boy that they were almost there and just as the young boy was about to begin to cry because he was certain that they were lost, there it was! They had arrived at the spot, and they began to fish, and they caught more fish than the young boy had ever seen. Even though he had no idea where they were, he knew Grandpa knew where they were, so he didn’t worry anymore.

    Our life is a lot like this. We don’t really know what is happening and we never know what is next. We can guess or speculate, but we never know. We are like this young boy; we just keep walking. We aren’t sure of the path, but we can be sure of the one who leads us. We always know that Jesus is the way; he is the path that we follow, his hand is the hand that leads us. Jesus knows the way because he is the way. His death and resurrection is our pathway into God’s eternal kingdom.

    Our human existence is filled with uncertainty, pain, sorrow, and fear. It is easy to become discouraged, and the devil tries every way he can to lead us away. His goal is to cause us pain and doubt, to leave us lost and looking for different ways or paths but these only lead us deeper into despair. We may not see the end, or understand the pathway, but we can be certain that the God who died for us is the God who is leading us, holding us, and keeping us safe.

    You may be experiencing this right now. You may not see or understand your path, but Jesus is with you every step of the way, holding your hand and keeping you safe, giving you hope to the glory of his resurrection for you. So, hold on, hold onto Jesus for He will lead through the darkest paths and bring you home safely. He is our way, He is our truth, He is our righteousness, and in Him we have life.   

Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen!

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret