There is a path that leads to a brighter future that the Lord desires everyone to take. The Scripture identifies it as “the paths of righteousness”. Walking on this path of righteousness in obedience to God leads to breakthrough. The usual testimony by the individual believer on this path to a brighter future is, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over”.
Every believer must seek the Lord’s help to walk on the path of righteousness and obedience to His Word. Refraining from the path of sin and the world becomes inevitable, as the believer cannot live the way he pleases. So, “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” Compromise with the sinful world inhibits the fulfilment of the promises of God. Believers must resolve to consistently follow the Lord.
To abort the promised brighter future, the devil tempts believers to misbehave, usually, just when their breakthrough is close. He tries to regulate their lives so as to make them miserable through sinful habits and conducts. That is why God calls every believer to a consistent life of obedience to His Word. “My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path… Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.”
Every believer should inquire and take the “old path” the saints in Scripture like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Caleb and David, among others, walked. This is the way to possess the promised abundance. God is not to blame, if we have chosen the path of disobedience and are not able to have the promised brighter future. It is obvious the path that leads to a brighter and blessed future is not crooked but “straight”. Therefore, every believer must resolve to “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”.
As we proceed on the pilgrimage, we need to be fortified and well-equipped to get sustaining strength to the blessed future. Remember Elijah was a prophet of God. He had been eating before an angel brought food for him to eat. All that he had eaten prior to this encounter was not sufficient for a successful journey to the Mount of God. “And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God”. Similarly, it is the spiritual meal of God’s Word that nourishes and empowers the heavenly pilgrim to make a successful journey to the blessed future in the city of God. For “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”.
In spite of all the blessings any believer has received from God, there is much more that is yet to be appropriated. A feeling of spiritual sufficiency leads to stagnancy that can prevent the fulfilment of the promises of God. Thus, God urged the Israelites who appeared to have settled in their comfort zone to arise and move forward.
As believers, we are on a journey to heaven. We need to resolve to make a successful pilgrimage to the blessed future in the bosom of our Lord. And like Moses invited his father-in-law to follow them to the Promised Land, so must we do.
Further Reading (King James Version): 1 Peter 2:11; Ezekiel 36:11; Ezekiel 36:9-11,25-27; Exodus 23:22-25; Psalm 81:13,14,16; Isaiah 56:4,5. Proverbs 4:18; Psalms 16:11; 23:3-5; 119:35,37; Proverbs 1:10-16,23,33; Jeremiah 6:16; Hebrews 12:13,14. 1 Kings 19:7,8; Psalm 78:25; Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 1:6-8; 2:3; Numbers 10:29.
