The Path of Life

You have made known to me the path of life; 
you will fill me with joy in your presence, 
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11






The path of life. The road less traveled. The narrow way. No matter how you choose to think about it, God's way is not the way of the world. He has shown us the direction we are to go, it is up to us to follow.

Not always the easiest, smoothest way.

If we were able to see the path of the Lord compared to the path of the world, the contrast would be obvious. The Lord's path may very well appear as this picture, a trail through the woods, a faint line leading us to the light at the end. It may be lonely, even abandoned.


On the other hand, the path of the world may appear as a six lane highway, complete with road signs, streetlights, and jam-packed with traffic. Jump on the entrance ramp, hit the gas, and speed towards your destination. From here, it seems, you could go anywhere.

Sometimes it is not the journey, but the destination that matters.

One main difference between the two paths is where they lead. As the Psalmist says, God's path will lead us to eternal pleasures at His right hand. At the end of that path is light, the glory of God.

The highway of the world, on the other hand, leads somewhere else. Matthew 7:13 tells us, Broad is the road that leads to destruction. And, just to be clear, he continues, and many are on it. The light at the end of that road? They may be ambulances, firetrucks, wreckers. Destruction awaits you.

Getting there is half the fun.

While the destination is the key difference between these paths of life, what we encounter along the way matters. On God's path, we will likely encounter obstacles we have to climb over, hills to conquer, streams to ford. Traveling His path will be work, but it is good work. We will be stronger because of it.

What will we see on the road the world wants us to take? Many things, but only a glimpse as we speed by. We never really get to enjoy what is around us. Most times if you want to see something, you will be looking at it through your rear-view mirror. And while the path may be easy to follow, it is filled with blind corners, hidden entrances, and road rage.  How do you feel at the end of a ten hour drive?

The choice.

You get to choose. Take the path God has shown you, or the one of the world. You already know where they lead. Which will you choose?