“Lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet” Hebrews 12:12-13.
I am one who loves to drive and enjoys the journey of getting there as much as the arrival. It is a chance to listen to great music, reflect on things going on in my life and lift prayers. I love taking the interstates because not much concentration is required. It’s pretty much a straight shot and I enjoy the continuum of the travel. There have been many times in my adult life where my circumstances didn’t take me straight to the resolution. Many situations took me through twists and turns…delays and incorrect off ramps. If only I had just 'sat still in the stopped traffic and waiting.' Taking the wrong exits and merging onto the wrong places to avoid the incident can certainly lead to discouragement.
Paul penned a powerful image regarding discouragement. No doubt we have all approached people with drooping hands and weak knees, and have been approached by these people. But Paul’s words are actually a word of hope…a remedy for this ailment. The opposite of what he offers is to allow discouragement to take root in our disappointment. Many times, discouragement is a sign of denial, as it points its blaming finger at someone else. Discouragement seeks to blame another for their current situation instead of embracing what God has allowed to come into their life. The author of When Life Gets Hard writes that ‘Denial [that God has allowed this situation for your good] heightens discouragement because you can’t be in partnership with God in something you’re not acknowledging or accepting.’ p. 88. We should attempt to avoid the crooked paths of finger pointing, blaming and running away. We should look straight to God in our circumstances with raised hands and bended knees. In this posture our questions should be ‘What do you want me to learn in this Lord?’ instead of ‘Why, Lord?’
We will all need His help in moving us from disappointment to acceptance, and discouragement to faith. Taking the straight path is being immovable from His word, strengthened by His power and confident in His outcome. It is looking straight ahead and keeping our eyes fixed on Him. It is staying straight when our emotions are luring us to take a detour. A straight path means looking within ourselves and discovering the good that God is trying to do in us and through us. It is truly believing that we can do all things through Christ and nothing is impossible.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.
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