A Change in My Path

A couple of years ago I came to a mountain on my path.  I asked God to move the mountain; He had me camp beside it.  Earlier this year He led me around the mountain and I came upon a river. By this time after getting used to the mountain, I wanted to walk through these waters to pass through, continuing on my path. But God did not part the waters to allow me through. He said wait. I waited beside those waters until this recently. I got up expecting God to turn me to a different direction without looking back.  I knew months ago I would not be crossing those waters. In February I received confirmation of that through a good friend, our pastor’s sermon, and words of friends from church.  On the way home from church one day I prayed about what I was supposed to do - how and when I was to turn from these waters and take a different path.  

After years on the same path, I knew it was going to be bittersweet and strange - not just for me, but for my family - to turn and go a different way. However, I did not get the answer I had expected.  He told me to put on the full armor.  He told me to gird myself with the belt of truth and to wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. He told me to stand at the edge of the river and be prepared for a fight. I am weary from the little skirmishes I have already fought to get to this place. I don’t feel up to a full battle; but I know I can rest in Him and with the shield of faith protecting me I can stand firm. I have faith that He will be fighting not by my side, but in front of me - preparing the way - and I know it will not be me winning the battle but Him.

I do not know how active I will be in the battle.  Am I just fighting on the home front?  Am I sitting by the campfire praying for others in the fight?  Am I going to be in the midst of the battle (I do hope that isn’t where He is leading - the midst of the battle scares me).  But there is one thing I know.  I cannot stand here complacently. 

I will not cross the river, nor will the river overtake me. I will take a stand for Truth. I am not both light and dark. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life" (John 8:12). If I have Christ’s Light within me, there is no room for darkness.  If darkness does try to enter, I am to fight it - using the Light to extinguish the darkness. Do not listen to those who tell you who you are - what you are - if what they say contradicts the Truth.  If you are of Christ, you are not both light and dark. “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light" (Ephesians 5:6-8).

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:6-7).  Trying to embrace light and darkness does the same thing as trying to be both hot and cold.  It makes you lukewarm. It means you straddle the fence without deciding upon which side you want to be.  God does not want lukewarm followers (See Revelation 3:15-16).  He will not accept someone who embraces both light and darkness - because God is Light and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).

Choose for yourselves whom you will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.