the_pathway_of

Our walk with Christ begins our journey down the pathway

of trust. We put our hand in His and step in the same direction. Christ gives us the power to walk, but He does not walk for us. Christ gives us the power to see, but He does not see for us. We may refrain from walking, we may close our eyes, but He is always there with His hand outstretched ready to lead us on our walk.

Jesus told the man that was blind from birth to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. He went and washed and came back able to see (John 9:7). The power to go to the pool and the restoring of his sight were from God. His part was to cooperate by doing what Jesus asked him to do.

Trust is believing Christ walks with us even when, like the blind man, we cannot see where we are going. It is holding His hand and cooperating with the directions He gives us, for without divine assistance we can never reach our goal. Christ leads, but we must follow. Each step we take with Christ gives us more confidence and reliance upon Him until it seems that as we walk further our trust grows, we question less, we rely more on His promises, and we feel at peace just knowing He is with us as we walk. We never have to walk alone. We never need to feel lonely or without Christ, for He said, " . . . I am with you always, even unto the end of the world". Matthew 28:20

Job was a man who had been greatly blessed through his trusting relationship with God. He was a wealthy man with seven sons and three daughters. The Bible says he was the greatest man of all the people of the East. But Satan tried to separate him from God. Satan caused Job to lose all that he had, including his seven sons and three daughters. But Job never blamed God or lost his trust in Him.

Then Satan afflicted him with painful sores from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. His own wife told him to curse God and die. But Job never blamed God or lost his trust in Him.

Three of Job's best friends told him he must be a terrible sinner to be so afflicted. But Job responded, "Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him . . ." And later he said "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh will I see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes . . ." Job 13:15 and 19:25-27, NIV. Then God restored to Job twice as much as he had before. He even had seven more sons and three more daughters.

When the king of Babylon ordered everyone to bow down and worship an image of gold Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to obey. Because they refused, they were thrown into a furnace so hot the soldiers who threw them into the flames were killed. But they never blamed God or lost their trust in Him. While they were in the hot flames the only thing that burned were the ropes that bound them. The king thought they would be killed, but instead he saw a fourth man - Christ - walking in the furnace with them. All four of them walked in perfect freedom. When the king called them out they didn't even have the smell of the fire on their clothes.

In the struggle against sin, we often have hardships and trials. Sometimes we feel like the barren fig tree, which bore no fruit. We feel as though we are failing the tests and trials we face in this life. Because of the cross, we can trust in Christ to help us to bear fruit by giving us His grace and power. We can trust that Christ will help us to endure and win.

Once Paul asked God to remove an affliction he had. He pleaded with God three times to remove it, but God's answer was "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthian 12:9, NIV. Those who have, with God's help, overcome adversity and hardship, and have struggled to achieve a goal, can learn from their trials and go on to become leaders with confidence as children of God. "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons." Hebrews 12:7, NIV.

Trust always includes believing. Believing in the person and power of Christ. Believing in His promises and that He will lead us in the best possible direction. But believing may not always include trust. Christ said the devils also believe and tremble.

Trust includes cooperation. It involves being an active participant with God. When His Spirit works in us it becomes our desire to work with and for Him. Christ shows us the goal, and He helps us to reach it, but we must cooperate with Him in order to get there.

Trust also includes conversation. We are willing to share our deepest thoughts with Christ, and we are open to what He has to say to us. Conversation with Christ reinforces the reality of His presence on our journey with Him.

When Joseph was a lad of seventeen, his own brothers sold him into slavery to a caravan of Midianites on their way to Egypt. They in turn sold him to Potiphar, the captain of the guard of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. When Potiphar's wife tried to get Joseph to sin, he refused her advances. She then falsely accused him, and had him thrown into prison. Joseph never blamed God or lost his trust in Him. Because of his faithfulness, he was made a ruler in Egypt -- second only to Pharaoh himself.

There is a host of others, who by trusting God, became strong. Our greatest example of trust is Jesus. During His life on this earth He was tempted in every way as we are. He understands our hardships and trials because He has experienced them.

Hanging on the cross, mocked, beaten and bloody. Cursed and reviled -- about to die the second death for us all -- it seemed His Father had deserted Him. Unable to see beyond His own tomb, Jesus said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Luke 23:46, NIV.

"Into your hands" was the commitment of a great cloud of witnesses, from the early church to the present, whose weaknesses were turned into strength. They received nothing in this world but persecution, torture and death. Still they trusted themselves to the safety of the hands of Christ, knowing they would receive the crown of life in the world to come. Jesus said "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." John 10:27-28, NIV.