This morning I took a walk at the old limestone quarry with my two dogs. Hurricane Sandy had just passed through and after being cooped up inside, it was good for all to get outside and go back to this very popular walking place, one we had been to perhaps a hundred times. This time however the parking lot was empty and the familiar, well-trod path was now covered with leaves and branches and even at various points small downed trees. Having walked the trails so many times, the terrain was very familiar but I was surprised by how confused I became without a cleared path.  Even the dogs strayed far more than usual as there seemed to be no trail to follow, just the woods. At one point on my walk I realized that I had actually departed from my usual trail as I found myself at a sign and bridge that I had never seen before. How in the world did I lose the trail? Where had I turned off? I didn’t think it was possible to have departed from a trail I thought I knew so well.  But now everything in the woods looked the same, evenly coated under rust and orange oak leaves.

It was then, as I stood at the unfamiliar bridge, that I realized that there is a way to stay on the trail even when it lies hidden under leaves and debris – trail markers. Since I hadn’t needed them before, I hardly noticed them; but there they were at regular intervals, a blue cross and an occasional blue arrow indicating the trail. It was from that time on that I looked for the markers to successfully keep to the trail for the remainder of my walk.  

Walking closely with the Lord throughout our  lives  in a way that honors and obeys Him can be a bit like my walk in the woods after the hurricane. The visibility of the trail of faith can often  become obscured by storms leaving internal or external debris. External debris clutters the landscape of our culture and the path of living a life that pleases the Lord can be buried under the stresses, demands and fears that we all face. Internal debris from storms of fear, doubt, disappointment  can confuse my own ability and frustrate even my desire to keep to the trail. Just as I needed to look at markers at regular intervals to keep me from straying in the woods, God has given me markers to follow after Him through the Word of God. Within the text of the Bible are stories, instructions, promises, commands, and revelations all of which are available to be used by the Holy Spirit to keep me walking “in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”. I need to consistently consult the Word of God to be sure I am following Him through this leaf and debris strewn world. 

The need to follow clear markers to remain true to God’s course reminds me of a story from one of my favorite C.S. Lewis books, The Silver Chair. In the beginning of this story from the Chronicles of Narnia, Polly is given four signs by Aslan the lion, the Christ figure in these tales. He requires her to repeat these signs over and over again until she has them memorized. These are the signs that she is to use on her mission to find the lost prince. “Remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs, believe the signs. Nothing else matters.”

The air will thicken, storms will come, leaves will cover the trail so that the ability to recognize paths of righteousness may be surprisingly difficult. Perhaps this is what God knew Joshua would face when entering the promised land which is why he counseled him with these words recorded in Joshua 1:8.

This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth,

But you shall meditate on it day and night 

that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. 

For then you will make your way prosperous

and then you will have good success. 

So what about you? Do you find yourself confused and disoriented at times, as I did in the woods? The path of following Jesus isn’t always clear as we look at the world around us. While we may not find the specific path we are looking for in the pages of the Bible, we do find principles and truth that are timeless and lead to life. These are a  lamp for our feet and a  light for our path. As you pray for direction, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to those passages and promises that will serve as trail markers for your journey and follow the signs.