RUN ON THE PLAIN PATH
“Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi . . .” (2 Samuel 18:23)
Autumn season is my favorite time of year. I enjoy running especially amid the splendid changing colors of nature. But simply running is not everything. There are choices to be made in the route we select. A swift foot over hill and down the valley, will not keep pace with the slower runner upon level ground. And so it is with our spiritual journey. Are we laboring up the hill of our own works and down into the ravine of our own resolutions? Or are we set on the path to keep to the plain way of “Believe and Live”? How blessed we shall be to wait upon the Lord by faith! Then the soul can run without weariness and walk without fainting in the path of believing.
Jesus Christ is the way of life. In following Him, we will discover He is a plain way, a protective way, a peaceful way for the feeble feet and trembling knees of His children. The issue we must each settle for ourselves today is: am I firmly planted in this way, or am I unsettled and searching for yet another way? Have I been delivered from prideful reason and brought to the loving embrace of Jesus as a little child to draw from His loving care and guidance? If, by the grace of God, this is the place I find myself, I too shall out-run the avid runner who has chosen some other path.
In this regard, I observed an amazing act of God, just within the past twenty-four hours. Mel’s mother’s cardiology report was causing extreme concern. The condition had deteriorated for the past few years. And now they had arrived at the crossroads: to do or not to do a major remedial procedure. The risk factor was weighty. They had waited on the Lord by faith for divine intervention. Their gaze was fixed in the way of believing. . . but alas! The medical experts discovered no improvement in the condition.
On Friday, Mel accompanied her beloved mother to be admitted to the Advanced Cardiovascular Center. However, they were not about to hunt for an alternate track but simply leaned into clinging to Jesus more heavily, with the assurance of God’s abundant grace to out-run the strongest runner who may have selected another path. The prescribed treatment began that evening and continued with all the routine pathology. However, there were no promises of radical progress. Thankfully the weekend slipped away without major crisis. On Monday at approximately 4.00am, there was still no progress, and it was very scary. The nurse entered the room to review the monitor on alarm mode. Suddenly while the nurse was conversing, the patient’s heart began converting to its normal rhythm, after three years in this plight. The Lord heard all the prayers and answered by delivering Mel’s mother from the dreaded rigors of another procedure. All glory be to our God!
So, let us be earnest in running the race on the plain path and avoid the arduous ways. May this truth guide us to profit in all our life. Let us fix our eyes on the goal and run – not looking back, straight toward the mark to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers us in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) Let us stay on the plain path to believe and live!