Navigating the Journey

Navigating life is like navigating the Stonington thoroughfare. It requires certain skills, awareness of potential hazards, and alertness to the dynamics of the moment as we weave our way through life’s challenges. Although our lives hold the possibility for much happiness and joy, these can be siderailed by complicated relationships, misplaced priorities, personal weaknesses, the demands of family and careers, unexpected disasters and disappointments, and unanticipated oppositions. Injustices, scammers, mistakes, betrayals, failures, and the transitions required of aging all exact their price and can decrease one’s sense of enjoyment.

Whether under pressure or riding a high, we are not immune to the injustices, the hurt, the wrong, and the depravity around us. At some point, we are going to search for meaning, purpose, and explanations and wonder if humanity is redeemable.

But God has not given us up! And Christ gives us a solid hope. He died to make us right with God by making redemption possible for every human soul through repentance and belief. Furthermore, God has promised a day when He will make paths straight. “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain” (Isaiah 40:4)

Until that time when wrongs will be made right and justice will reign, God has promised guidance to the good ways, to the best possible life. When we “Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding (and) in all our ways submit to him, he will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).” His Word is “a light” for our paths (Psalm 119:105). “(He) instructs you in the way of wisdom and leads you along straight paths (Proverbs 4:11). “Watch the path of your feet/And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil (Proverbs 4:26-27)”

He not only has instructed us how to live with love for Him and our neighbor but has shown us the way through Jesus. The New Testament authors summed it up by telling us to “walk as Jesus did.”(1John 2:6, Ephesians5:2)

The journey may be difficult and even hazardous, but the “Captain of our salvation” steadfastly and lovingly takes us through to the other side of our difficulties into a glorious life with Him. (Hebrews 2:10). In the beautiful metaphor of walking, he even walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death into what Pilgrim in Pilgrim’s Progress called the Celestial City.”