Are These Dark and Difficult Paths the Lord’s?

Psalm 25:10:  All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.  

When I read this verse, I am struck by its beauty.  “All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness.”  Yes, please.  My small, simple soul conjures images of moonlit paths and footprints on a beach.  Lovely and peaceful.

Then I begin to think about all the places my feet have actually trod. 

Friend,  I don’t know about you, but I have walked some dark and difficult paths.  They took me to hard places.  Harsh places.  Places of heartache.  They were not paths of my choosing.  But they were still mine to traverse.    

Were these dark and difficult paths the Lord’s?  Were they truly paths of love and faithfulness?

These are hard questions.  Questions wrestled with in the night and whispered through tears.

But, dear one, do I dare say they produced beautiful fruit in me?

• My misplaced security was stripped away and replaced with Jesus. 
• My compassion was multiplied as I walked paths I thought would never be mine.
• My faith was strengthened.  The journey made it so.

So yes, my friend.  I can finally say that even that path, the one that hurt so much, was the Lord’s.  

It was not lovely.   It was not peaceful.  

But it had the most amazing views of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.  Views I would not have seen on any other path.  

Until next time,

Shelby