If one were travelling in Africa – let’s say, near the equator – one would hardly notice a change in the seasons. There would more likely be simply rainy and dry seasons, but not the marked yearly periods so enjoyed in many parts of the globe. In the northern hemisphere for example, right now it is the month of May and Spring is well under way. Spring brings with it all of the new growth in flowers, bushes and trees and can be a very pleasant and encouraging time weather wise.
After having recently been away from our home in England for a few weeks, we returned to find that the buds and small sprouts of many days hence had exploded into a lush green flooring and canopy in the nearby woods.
I wanted to take a walk in our little forest and set out on the path I had so often trod. At one point the blackberry bushes and other plants had just about taken over the footpath and it was not readily apparent where it went.
That caused me think about our spiritual path. I realized that if we do not tread that path regularly, that it might grow over with the cares of the world and we would no longer be able to find our way.
Christ said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life…”. If Christ is the Way, is it possible that we can become so “overgrown” with physical things going on around us that we no longer have a clear view of the Way? In Matthew, chapter 13, the Parable of the Sower mentions an instance of seeds falling on ground, which was then overtaken by thorns. This is an example of an overgrowth of “bad plants” which causes seed to be choked and die – in other words, the way was lost.
If there is a path which has been overgrown with foliage, to the point that you can hardly see where to go, what do you do? The two best ways are to cut back some of the plant life and also to continue keeping that path clean and well-worn by constant use.
What are some of the things that have grown out and covered the path you know you should be going? Have you not been on that path as much as you should? It is never too late to start cutting back some of that foliage – to begin to eliminate some of the things in our lives which obscure the path or make us lose sight of it. Have we neglected some things which we know that we should be doing – have we not walked the Way we know to be the right one?
Christ did not say that He was the Way and the Light and the Truth so that we would not find Him. The Way is the Way of Truth and it stands in the Light. It is there for us to see.
Let us make sure to keep the path – the Way – well worn. Just as Daniel did, we need to keep walking the Way. In Daniel 6:10 we see that Daniel “kneeled upon his knees three times and day and prayed, and gave thanks before his God”. He was conscientious about keeping the path free of overgrowth – keeping it clear, recognizable and well-used. When we pray, when we study God’s Word, when we meditate on God’s Way, we do the same.
Cliff Veal
