You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.~Psalm 18:36 NLT
Walking a wider path makes for better walking.
When I hiked in the mountains, I walked on several types of paths. Some were so narrow that one misstep would have sent me pummeling down the mountainside. Others were so wide that several others and I could walk side by side. But most paths were medium in width. Narrow enough to keep down a crowd but wide enough to make walking less treacherous.
The psalmist was a shepherd and familiar with paths. Broad paths would accommodate him and the sheep without them having to follow him in a single file. But through poetry, the psalmist has more in mind than a literal path.
Life is filled with challenges. What college to attend, which person to marry, which fund to invest in, whether to rent or buy, whether to buy a used or a new vehicle, whether to follow God’s plan or our own, whether or not to have children, how to trust God when life takes a sour turn and makes no logical sense.
In challenging times, God will broaden our paths if we allow Him to do so. He will widen our perspective—which is naturally limited. We can only see what is present at the moment. We can’t even see the rest of the day we live in. But God? He has lived in the future we haven’t experienced. He can help us see with more than our physical eyes if we seek Him.
God can also widen our patience. Challenges tax our patience. Trials push it to the limit. But the very things we distaste are what God uses to develop patience in our lives. And life will be more peaceful when we learn to walk the wide path of patience.
Additionally, God can widen our faith. As a believer, this is what we live by. Faith is our trust in a God we can’t see whom we believe directs our life’s paths. Through challenges, God builds, develops, and hones our faith.
Further, God can also widen our endurance. In our strength, we’ll falter under the least turbulent circumstance. But with God’s help, we can do all things, weather all things, and learn from all things. We don’t live this life with our strength but with the strength of God’s Spirit.
Depend on God to widen whatever path you’re walking on. He will never leave or forsake you.
Father, whatever path life takes me down, I depend on You to widen it so I won’t slip and fall.
Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author. He serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net and is an instructor for the Christian PEN (professional editor’s network). Wiles is a multi-published author. His most recent book, Hurt, Hope and Healing: 52 Devotions That Will Lead to Spiritual Health, is available on Amazon. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of seven. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Latest posts by Martin Wiles (see all)
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