God’s Way
How often have we heard it said, “That’s the way it goes?” Most generally it is said as a form of resignation over a less than desirable outcome. It is as if we have no real control over the outcome of anything – that whatever will be will be.
Scripture tells us that time and chance happens to all but why is it that there is such a variance in the way difficulties are dealt with? Some don’t seem to lose hope in a better outcome and some do.
The reason that some can respond positively to the way things go is because of the way of God. “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish” (Psalm 1:6). As we can see here, there are two distinctly different ways to live. Either way will eventually lead to the end of one’s life, but the ungodly – those who won’t repent – have no hope of eternal life. On the other hand, the keepers of God’s way are lifted up by that hope continually regardless of circumstance.
Christ was and is the perfect example of the way. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” (John 14:6). Christ shined a light on God’s law by living it to the full in the letter and in the spirit – it is His way. He opened the door to salvation by walking in the way right to the end. He lived the example of being merciful to those like you and me who turned to Him for forgiveness. His way is to lift up any who will come to repentance and to give them the Holy Spirit. His way is to live life outwardly for the good and benefit of others.
By utilizing the power of His spirit, we can come to live the way ever more perfectly and we can go beyond that. Isaiah said this of those who become resurrected keepers of the way “And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left,” (Isaiah 30:20–21). What could be more inspiring than erasing that old resigning statement of that’s the way it goes? Through Christ in us we can become teachers of the way of hope for those who will be in such dire need of it in the near future.
Keep the way and spread it.
Marshall Stiver
