Isaiah 57:14-21 One Path

Judah is headed for punishment for her own sins. But to ALL who would come to the Lord there is one path back; repentance. A contrite and humble heart walk this path.

God KNOWS what it will take to bring us back to Him. He also KNOWS that there are consequences for sin. One of those consequences is that He removes His hand of protection. He doesn’t take His stop knowing where we are and when we are ready to come out of our lesson. But neither does He take part in it and walk with us in that sin.

Judah is gearing up for their ‘lesson’. It won’t come for a few more hundred years, but their sin is piled high and growing higher. Those who choose to walk in the path of sin will not see the path out of judgment God is offering. Those who come to Him in true repentance will.

“I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (verse 15b). The path has to begin with us. WE have to turn to Him in order to start down the path that leads to life.

I just received a picture of a path. It is a slightly hidden path and it takes one who is searching for it to actually find it. But once found, it is so plain to see that those who found it wonder how others could miss it. It is hidden behind a grove of trees. You can only see it when you come near to examine the trees. Between the trees there is a gap and light is peering through it. If you push aside the small branches, it opens up into a BEAUTIFUL path. Flowers on each side provide the boundaries of it. Briars and brambles lay a few paces away, hidden by the trees growing along the path. The briars and brambles are to prevent anyone from coming onto the path from any other point but through the ‘doorway’. It is not an expansive path but a well laid out one with plenty of markers to keep you safe within its bounds. And it leads to where you need to go.

Yes, there are hills to climb, valleys to descend, and turns you can’t immediately see around. But there is certainty that this path can provide that NO amount of wandering in the forest can. It has a Companion who knows this path intimately. By putting your trust in Him, He will see you safely to the end of it. And that ‘end’ is beyond your wildest imagination in beauty and desirability.

There are a few steps that are necessary to find this path.

• You have to first realize that you are lost.
• You have to accept that there IS a path out of your current situation.
• You have to be willing to accept that you need help finding this path.
• When it is revealed, you have to be willing to step onto it.
• And you have to be willing to allow the Guide to show you the way.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

“Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from My people’s way” (verse 14b). This is God preparing the path for us. HE removed the obstructions for us. We couldn’t do it ourselves. He built this path just for us! For those who would turn their hearts to Him and let Him be their Guide.

Let Him take you down His path. The one that leads to peace. The one where He walks with you on it. The one that He is LONGING to reveal to you! All it takes is a repentant/contrite heart and a KNOWING that you can’t make it in this world on your own/humble spirit.

Yes, there will be times when you ‘wander past the flowers’ and maybe even run up against the ‘briars’. But all it takes to get back on the path is a renewed understanding of why you are on the path in the first place. Because you CANNOT make it in this world on your own. And then, simply turn around and see your Companion waiting there on the path for you to rejoin Him. He didn’t walk on and leave you. He isn’t distracted by the sights to where He loses track of you. He simply waits until you figure it out once again and come back to the place of safety. And it doesn’t matter how many steps you take away from the path. All it takes in ONE to get back to it; “I’m sorry Father. Please forgive me.” He will wrap His arm around you and you will be right beside Him again in an instant. You might have a few ‘brambles or briars to pick from your clothing’ but He can help you with that too.

Father God, thank You for this image. I wish my daddy could paint it for me but it would take more than one picture. I would like to see what he came up with though. How his mind would see the path You created for him.

THANK YOU Lord Jesus for making this path possible. Thank You Holy Spirit for walking it daily with me. I know there are days when I make the journey easier for both of us. Forgive me in advance for the days when I struggle. And THANK YOU for the forgiveness You have already given me for all the past times I wandered off to have a look around. NOTHING can compare to the beauty You created for me! And even more, THANK YOU for all those who will choose this path too. Another ‘family member comes home’. Welcome to the family all who join me.