Staying on the Trail

He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:14

I don't know of anyone who likes boundaries or enjoys observing them. Boundaries started for us we were old enough to begin creeping and then crawling from one room to another. Most parents invested in something that restrained our movement. My Mother had a play pen for us girls and I had one I used with our three children. Today, they are called play scapes because it supposedly sounds better than “play pen.” If play scapes aren't used, parents often purchase gates that will keep little ones out of certain rooms. They may move a small piece of furniture such as a kitchen chair turned on it's side to keep a child safe. Even at very young ages, little ones hate having their activity curbed.

 

Teens don't like having their activities curbed either. They say they don't understand the reason for so many rules and regulations, but if truth be known, even though they don't like them, they feel a love and safety because of them. They don't realize that they are being equipped for adulthood whereby they will be able to discern, make good judgments, and know about appropriate choices. Boundaries above all provide safety during the growth process.

 

 

Boundaries are very important here in the mountains. We have no ambulance service right here in our small town. When there is an emergency in our town or on this side of the national park, it is disturbing to we locals if an ambulance has to go into the park area. That ambulance has had to come from the next town over. When we hear a ambulance siren, we know that something very serious has happened, especially if it goes on into the park. Since we have moved here, we've known of two drownings, two persons missing and some lesser events not so much tragic in nature.

It can be a very scarey thing getting lost in a mountainous national park. Tourists are provided with every kind of information to keep them safe along with informative signs found all over the place. There are maps of every kind for those interested in hiking, swimming, tubing and general observing. Invariably, there are those who start out on a hiking trail but feel they know enough that they can veer from the trail and do a little of their own exploring. Unsupervised children may run ahead of parents on a trail and end up falling or may leave the parents camp site to do some exploring. In time past, massive searches have had to be activated for lost children and even lost adults when a person, young or old has been reported missing. Most often they have walked away from boundaries and warnings to do their own thing.

There is usually a high price to pay when boundaries aren't observed by children and young people. The prices to pay can be very high when rules are ignored, parents wishes put to one side, or school rules thrown to the wind. Eventually, such young people often find themselves lost because they got off of the trail of right and there are no rangers to come to their rescue. 

 

It's easy to point a finger at the young but as an adult, whether we realize it or not, we are faced with God-given boundaries every day. God's concern for us is the very same as any concern for the very young. When we ignore God's limits, then we have left the area of His very personal care. When we go beyond God's boundaries, Satan waits, “licking his chops” ready to pounce on us. We can be led astray just as easily as young people and children. The sad thing is that we really do know better but choose to do our own thing anyway.

 

Where do we learn boundaries, because we have them from our youngest years whether we are aware of it or not. First boundaries are introduced from birth through our time with parents in our homes. During that time, we also learn boundaries in every school we attend. Society presents it's version of boundaries even though society is often confused regarding what boundaries really are. Government has laws that govern our activity, behavior and lives in general. In any of those areas, the ignoring of boundaries can be critical. The most important boundaries, though, are given to us from God Himself. His boundaries generally coincide with boundaries in life as we've come to know them.

 

So what can we do? Micah 6:8 gives us three things that give us a starting point. Note that at the very beginning of our opening verse that God has already taught us what is good and right to do. God isn't unfair to expect us to know the rules and expectations without His making them known to us. The three things given that are listed in this verse are excellent places to begin. We just have to decide to stay within the boundaries of them.

 

First, Micah says for us to do justice (right.) It doesn't take a brilliant person to understand that one phrase. I have spoken with women who have foolishly gone ahead with their own plans despite knowing that what they are about to do is wrong. That person, most often is lying to herself. If an adult has been a Christian any length of time, has been under the teaching and preaching of God's Word, she doesn't really need someone to draw pictures for her at the time of making decisions. Every born again Christian has the Holy Spirit residing within them and the Holy Spirit wonderfully prompts us with warnings or go-ahead nudges. Each of us must determine sometime, somewhere in life that we are bottom line going to do what is right. That's tough but won't happen without our determination.

 

Next, Micah says we are to love mercy (kindness). This has more to do with our treatment of others than God's treatment of us. When you and I show mercy and kindness to others, we are loving, forgiving, patient and caring. It is here we could list the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5. God knows we know all of these things but the decision is ours as far as our obedience regarding each one.

 

Lastly, Micah tells us to walk humbly with your God. I tend to think that when we do this one thing, all the rest of the verse will fall into place. For children to do what parents ask of them takes humility, a yielding to authority. It takes the same humility for a married couple to yield to each other, an employee to an employer and a common ordinary woman to her Heavenly Father. Notice that this process is like taking a walk with someone else. When we walk with someone, it's because we enjoy being with the person. When we walk in harmony with our Heavenly Father in close communion, we will be encouraged with every step to do what is right, to be merciful in every way possible and to be a person of humility.

 

Let's determine to stay on the path or trail that has been put before us, not veering to the left or right. May we determine to walk in obedience, doing right, showering others with mercy and walking in humility with our Heavenly Father. Life won't ever be perfect on this earth but we can walk the spiritual trails set before us in the peace that only doing what is right brings.

Jesus is the best ranger we could ever want on this trail of life.

Dear Father, thank You for Your guidance in my life. Help me to be receptive to Your quiet voice and live a life of obedience. Keep me sensitive to the needs of others. I love You. Amen.