The path of the Lord is mercy and truth.
Matthew took my hand and hoisted me onto the boulder at the top of the ridge. From the heights we could see the path curling like a ribbon on its way up the mountain slope. It wound its way around fallen logs and through thickets of painful briers.
The forest sheltered portions of the path from the blazing sun, its shade providing respite along the steep climb. I thought of the moss-laden stones sprinkled like emeralds and the patches of wild flowers — oh! the flowers — dotting the hillside with crimson and gold.
Far above this glorious sight, looking perhaps from a smidgen of God’s perspective, I could see the beauty of it all. Piece by piece worked together to create a whole — a tapestry of purpose, a tapestry of pleasure that brought me from the base of the mountain to its crowning ridge-top.
A journey.
Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths. ~ You show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. ~ You lead me in the paths of righteousness for Your Name’s sake ~ All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. **
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth … when I commit to His covenant and yield to its authority.
That means I have a choice.
He leads us in the path of righteousness.
His covenant says I am His, and He is mine.
His covenant says I am His Beloved.
But it also says abide in Me, and I will abide in you. A branch separated from the vine will wither and die, and produce no fruit.
It requires us to love the Lord our God with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
It says to be holy as He is holy and to pursue righteousness with everything within us.
Yes, the covenant we have with the Lord goes two ways and comes with responsibility.
BUT, when we take His covenant seriously, and choose to keep it and His testimonies, THEN our paths will be laden with mercy and truth. I love that.
I stood high on that mountaintop and looked toward heaven. The sun poked out from behind a passing cloud and streamed its rays toward the path I had just climbed.
I looked again at the fallen logs and thickets of briers that littered the mountain path and thought of the obstacles God had brought me through with His mercy and truth.
I remembered the times of respite from the overwhelming cares of my heart, and the God-sightings as glorious as the emerald green of the moss-laden stones — all while traveling along my faith journey …
Mercy and truth leading me straight to the mountain of my God.
** Psalm 25:4, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 23:3, Psalm 25:10
Beautifully written. I love these verses! They’ve helped me so much over the past few years. I’ve also learned there are many instances in God’s word where God will only do certain things “If” or “when” we do something. I found myself highlighting or underlining quite frequently the passages that say, “If you keep His commandments” this past year. It’s hard to follow God if I’m not doing what He asks me to do. Thank you for the reminder. 🙂