The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of dawn. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. (Proverbs 4:18-19, NIV)
Playing golf is a continual work in progress. We learn more about it in a very gradual way. It is a process that evolves over time and can always be better. It gets more satisfying as we get more insight into how to play the game and make fewer mistakes. And it can end in pure joy when we realize it can never be mastered, only played.
Playing golf parallels our life journey. Our passage today describes a very similar process in our walk with God. If we are righteous (made right with God by accepting his grace), our life path is gradually revealed to us as we gain the light of the truth of our place in God’s plan. The longer we walk in obedience and righteousness, the brighter the light becomes, just as the first gleam of dawn burns brighter into the brightness of the full light of dawn.
As we considered yesterday, we are often troubled because we want to know what happens all the way to the end of our life. So we jump into controlling the outcome, planning our own path and asking God to bless it. But our own plans are made in the darkness, and without God’s blessing we will surely stumble.
God loves us in a uniquely individual way and reveals his purposes to us in the sequence he ordains. He deals with each of us in his own purposeful way and provides light for each person’s path, as they trust him to lead them. It is his plan to give us just enough light to shine on the next steps we are to take. As we grow in his presence, we come to trust that that light will be just perfect, allowing us to see the obstacles and the directional signs that lead us toward our destination.
We can try to live our life our way or we can surrender to the Lord’s plan for us. After we have tried it on our own and made the mistakes that have impeded our progress, he is ready to step in and take over (actually he’s ready before then!).
God’s grace covers all that has transpired in the past and he longs for us to take his hand and trust him with every step on our journey. He will get us to the end, and the process of our life can be pure joy as we realize that we can never master or control it, but only live it in the bright light of his presence and peace.
—
Linda Ballard
June 4, 2015
Copyright 2015 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.