November 2 An Unknown Path

Wednesday:  

I took this picture a few years ago. I had been looking for the "perfect" fall scene to photograph and I was driving down the Beltline in the middle of the day, and across from Kuyper College I noticed a pathway leading into the woods. The colors that day were gorgeous! I pulled into a parking lot of medical buildings, grabbed my camera and took that path. It was just a short walk before I came upon this magical scene. WOW. I am super thankful I stopped to explore that little pathway, previously unseen and unknown to me; because it no longer exists. Construction trucks have leveled this whole area to make room for more ... medical buildings. SIGH.

I have been really sad for many weeks now--too personal to divulge in this blog--but just a dread and a foreboding for a person I dearly love. I am so at a loss as to make any difference whatsoever and oftentimes I feel so useless and ... almost foolish, and sometimes despised (which is very hurtful).

I've been reading (for weeks now) through the Psalms. I have been doing my reading with colored highlighters in hand--BLUE for anything said about God--GREEN for any locations or people groups--DEEP PINK for any mention of evil--LIGHT ORANGE for imperatives, etc. Why? Because I read without thinking. I read too fast. I read out of obligation. I read to get finished. I don't want to read God's Word like that! So this slows me down and helps me to ponder a bit as I go.

This morning, I was reading Psalms 74 - 77, written by ASAPH. He has written 11 or 12 of the Psalms. I had to look him up because I couldn't remember who he was. Asaph was a worship leader, appointed by David to lead the singing in David's court choir. Asaph was a prominent Levite. He was a singer and a prophet. Most of his psalms are psalms of lament. He wrote Psalm 50 as well as 73 - 83.

I love Psalm 50, especially verse 10 where he says of God: "For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills." I remember singing the chorus, "He Owns the Cattle on a Thousand Hills" in youth group all of those years ago. I always loved thinking about Him owning all of the animals.

Anyway, I got to Psalm 77 in which Asaph is lamenting and complaining to God that He is silent! He doesn't hear! God has forsaken His people! 

And I said, "This is my fate, that the blessings of the Most High have changed to hatred." I recall all you have done, O LORD, I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago ... O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of miracles and wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations ...

Here is where the psalm got really interesting to me ...

When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths. The clouds poured down their rain; the thunder rolled and crackled in the sky. Your arrows of lightning flashed. Your thunder roared from the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world! The earth trembled and shook. Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters--a pathway no one knew was there! You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.

I have often read about the parting of the Red Sea and never once pictured a storm, did you? Asaph describes pouring rain, thunder, lightning, the earth shaking ... and THEN--YOUR ROAD led through the sea, YOUR PATHWAY through the mighty waters--A PATHWAY NO ONE KNEW WAS THERE! Wow. There was no other way of escape for the Israelites but to enter that pathway and follow it! They were being hotly pursued by their enemies! Me too. I have enemies of doubt, despair, confusion, rejection, loneliness. I need to follow His path "less traveled."

I love to take the path less frequented when out in the woods! I love to explore and be where I have never been before. These verses in Psalm 77 show me that God has a path for me to follow--and it leads straight into "mighty waters"; it is a pathway that I am NOT familiar with--a pathway I didn't even know was there ... through grief and trials, through the good and bad--God knows the path and is leading me as MY SHEPHERD. But ... that doesn't mean there won't be storms and fear and struggle or grief as I walk with Him. I need to trust Him and His leading. Help me do that, Lord!