The Smooth and Straight Path

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Isaiah 26:7(NLT) “But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them.”

Life can be very challenging at times. So much so that there are many Christians who would argue that this way of life presents some of the most difficult times in a person’s life. There are choices to make, and some of those choices require us to abandon the things we are accustomed to, and take by faith the things that feel somewhat foreign to us. Some people see this as rough territory, but Isaiah 26:7 doesn’t exactly square with the perception that life is supposed to be rocky terrain. It tells us that the way of the Lord is not steep and rough as many proclaim.

We know that the Word of God is true. He tells us that living righteous makes our path here on earth smooth as butter; but there’s a condition that must be met, and it is living through Christ Jesus, our Lord. We have to live for Christ to have the kind of life that Heavenly Father is talking about in Isaiah 26:7.

God created us to be flexible and adaptable to various environments, situations, and circumstances. Spiritual growth dictates that we leave certain things behind as we journey forward and go higher in the Lord. This is what it means to abound in Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-9 The Message (MSG) says it best. It tells us, “So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.”

To have the kind of life that God is talking about, we have to be flexible in faith. We must trust His Word and believe wholeheartedly that if He says something is good for us, then it is extraordinarily good. If He says that something is bad for us, then it will be a great hindrance to our lives.

In Christ, we have to be willing to forgive, even when someone has broken our hearts or harmed us emotionally. We’re not prepared for the surprise when someone we’ve loved turns on us and treats us as though they never loved us back. This is a tough one, but we can’t hold on to the resentment. If our old ways don’t measure up to the standard of Christ, righteousness dictates that we let go of the stuff we were accustomed to doing, thinking, and saying. Those old ways are blessing blockers. They keep you locked-in to that rocky terrain, and from reaching your full potential in the Lord.

We can make better decisions, advantageous choices, and wise judgements when we put God first. Isaiah 26:7 tells us that He is faithful and righteous, and He will smooth out the path ahead of us. This doesn’t mean that life will be a bowl of cherries 24/7. It means that we can be assured that no matter how complex, hurtful or difficult life becomes, God will turn what the enemy meant for bad into something for our good. He knows what is best for us, and if we will put Him first, we will always have the absolute best outcomes in life.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
 “The Smooth and Straight Path”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2017.  All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.

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