The Right Path
Elijah Silverman / Summer Intern
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21
Recently a friend from college came for a visit. As I was sitting at my desk in my room, he told me about how hard it was for him to figure out what God wanted for his life and that right now all he could get was an “I don’t know.” As he talked more and more about this crossroads he was at in his life, I realized it touched on a serious question I have struggled with for such a long time. What if I misread something God tells me to do along the way and end up not fulfilling His will for my life?
Life is full of decisions and ever since totally giving my life to Jesus, I have wondered what happens if I make a mistake, even a slight one. My whole life I had been taught that going off the path even a little is enough for you to be out of God's will. This fear made all decisions big and small seem like life-altering decisions to me. This is not how God wants us to live, and I have known that, but it didn’t stop me from pondering every decision deeply.
It wasn’t until I stumbled upon Isaiah 30:21 in a google search trying to find the answer to my friend's question that I was able to hear God answer my big question. It says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21).
See even if you veer to the right or left God will get you right back on the right track. If you are truly looking to follow God with all your heart, He understands that we are human and He is not too small to save us from ourselves! Our God is a big God, and I was able to see the problem I was dealing with was a heart problem. That I wasn’t fully trusting Him. I believed that I could ruin a plan that God had for me but that is not the case!
Sometimes in life we are faced with challenging decisions, but do not worry! Instead “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Sometimes we ourselves can make a mistake. We are human but God is very gracious and merciful. With that in mind you can be sure that He will put you back on the right path.