July 18, 2011
God can never approve of sin. Never! And God cannot lie. Cannot! His words are true—always. When we go to God, He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths. (Isaiah 2:3)
What a comforting visual I get when I think of that. I can just picture different parts of the Appalachian Trail. It's a narrow footpath. At times you can look around you and see fields of ferns growing under the trees. Other times you are walking through tunnels of Laurel, Rhododendron, or brush and you can see nothing on either side of you. Sometimes you're in valleys. Sometimes you're on the mountain tops. But always—there is a path or a blaze marking the way. On the rocky areas you have to be more careful so you don't trip and fall. There are rivers to cross and obscure areas where you have to pay attention so you don't lose your way. But always—there is a path or a blaze marking the way.
God has a path for us. When we to go Him He will teach us how to walk on His path. All we have to do is walk, one foot in front of the other, KNOWING it is His path we are on and trusting Him to lead us to get us to where He wants us to be.
On the Appalachian Trail the end terminus in Maine is the apex of Mount Katadhin. As a Christian, our end goal is Heaven. God's path may take us through easy wide open spaces or it may lead us through thickets, rocks, valleys and mountains. There may be cliffs, snakes, or wild animals. But it is His path—and I choose to walk it. To follow God's path in this life, (and on the A.T.) we have to pay attention so we don't lose our way. If we take a wrong turn, we must go back to the fork in the road and choose to go the right way. Most of the hikers hiking the Appalachian Trail are given a trail name. My A.T. "name" is One Track. I was given that name for several reasons. 1) As a young child my Mom told me I had a one-track mind. My feelings were hurt because I thought she was telling me I was dumb because I only had one track and you should have lots of tracks. 🙂 and 2) Mom was right. Once I decide to do something (like the A.T.) I am focused on it. One Track. How fitting. I'm on the only path, the One Track, that matters—God's.
God cannot and will not tolerate sin forever. Isaiah 2:12 - "The LORD All-Powerful has a certain day planned when he will punish the proud and those who brag, and they will no longer be important." Isaiah 2:11 and 17 say the exact same thing. "At that time proud people will be made humble, and they will bow low with shame. At that time only the LORD will be praised." People can't save you. They are just that—people. Human help is of no value, only God can save you if you choose to turn from your sin and turn to Him. Isaiah 3:9 - "How terrible it will be for them, because they brought much trouble on themselves." Isaiah 3:10 - "Tell those who do right that things will go well for them, because they will receive a reward for what they do."
Isaiah 3:11 - "But how terrible it will be for the wicked! They will be punished for all the wrong they have done." Isaiah 3:13-15 - "The LORD takes his place in court and stands to judge the people. The LORD presents his case ... what gives you the right ... the LORD God All-Powerful says this."
Next Entry: Isaiah 5
God can never approve of sin. Never! And God cannot lie. Cannot! His words are true—always. When we go to God, He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths. (Isaiah 2:3)
What a comforting visual I get when I think of that. I can just picture different parts of the Appalachian Trail. It's a narrow footpath. At times you can look around you and see fields of ferns growing under the trees. Other times you are walking through tunnels of Laurel, Rhododendron, or brush and you can see nothing on either side of you. Sometimes you're in valleys. Sometimes you're on the mountain tops. But always—there is a path or a blaze marking the way. On the rocky areas you have to be more careful so you don't trip and fall. There are rivers to cross and obscure areas where you have to pay attention so you don't lose your way. But always—there is a path or a blaze marking the way.
God has a path for us. When we to go Him He will teach us how to walk on His path. All we have to do is walk, one foot in front of the other, KNOWING it is His path we are on and trusting Him to lead us to get us to where He wants us to be.
On the Appalachian Trail the end terminus in Maine is the apex of Mount Katadhin. As a Christian, our end goal is Heaven. God's path may take us through easy wide open spaces or it may lead us through thickets, rocks, valleys and mountains. There may be cliffs, snakes, or wild animals. But it is His path—and I choose to walk it. To follow God's path in this life, (and on the A.T.) we have to pay attention so we don't lose our way. If we take a wrong turn, we must go back to the fork in the road and choose to go the right way. Most of the hikers hiking the Appalachian Trail are given a trail name. My A.T. "name" is One Track. I was given that name for several reasons. 1) As a young child my Mom told me I had a one-track mind. My feelings were hurt because I thought she was telling me I was dumb because I only had one track and you should have lots of tracks. 🙂 and 2) Mom was right. Once I decide to do something (like the A.T.) I am focused on it. One Track. How fitting. I'm on the only path, the One Track, that matters—God's.
God cannot and will not tolerate sin forever. Isaiah 2:12 - "The LORD All-Powerful has a certain day planned when he will punish the proud and those who brag, and they will no longer be important." Isaiah 2:11 and 17 say the exact same thing. "At that time proud people will be made humble, and they will bow low with shame. At that time only the LORD will be praised." People can't save you. They are just that—people. Human help is of no value, only God can save you if you choose to turn from your sin and turn to Him. Isaiah 3:9 - "How terrible it will be for them, because they brought much trouble on themselves." Isaiah 3:10 - "Tell those who do right that things will go well for them, because they will receive a reward for what they do."
Isaiah 3:11 - "But how terrible it will be for the wicked! They will be punished for all the wrong they have done." Isaiah 3:13-15 - "The LORD takes his place in court and stands to judge the people. The LORD presents his case ... what gives you the right ... the LORD God All-Powerful says this."
A.W. Tozer, in "The Knowledge of the Holy" says it this way: "In the moral conflict now raging around us, whoever is on God's side is on the winning side and cannot lose; whoever is on the other side is on the losing side and cannot win. Here there is no chance, no gamble. There is freedom to choose which side we shall be on but no freedom to negotiate the results of the choice once it is made. By the mercy of God we may repent a wrong choice and alter the consequences by making a new and right choice. Beyond that we cannot go ... we must all choose whether we will obey the gospel or turn away in unbelief and reject its authority. Our choice is our own, but the consequences of the choice have already been determined by the sovereign will of God, and from this there is no appeal."You cannot have one foot in and one foot out. "He that is not with me is against me" and, "No man comes to the Father but by me."
Next Entry: Isaiah 5
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