Path-o-logy

UV 3711/10000 Path-o-logy O Lord, I know that the path of (life of ) a man is not in himself; It is not within the limited ability of man even one at his best to choose and direct his steps in life. Jeremiah 10 v 23 Path-o-logy is to, my mind, the study of paths of life. The paths we take are determined best by the Lord and not by our own finite, limited cognitive ability or wisdom. Jeremiah, the young and much afflicted prophet, knew this better than most. Hence, in just the preceding chapter, he wrote the prophetic true words, “ Let the wise man boast in his wisdom, the skilful in his insight, the powerful or strong in his strength or power nor the rich man in his abundance.” The Lord is the fountainhead of love, of power, of wisdom, of wealth, of health, of strength, of skills, of insight. These are distinct paths of life that different people in the contemporary world and in history have chosen for themselves for even today, some choose to be the richest, the wisest, the most powerful, the most skilful. It is best we choose the fountainhead and the paths we need to travel will be chosen by the Lord who has complete knowledge and understanding. Our personal and intimate relationship with Him can lead up to some or all or none of these paths or blessings. Without Him what would otherwise be a blessing can be a curse for a wise one can become excessively melancholic and depressed when he truly understands the ways of this world, a wealthy person can get bored with his excess and see life as meaningless and purposeless, a powerful person will find himself vulnerable as many have found in the wake of this covid pandemic. Any path other that leads to God, led by Him is likely to be pathological or disease-prone, failure-prone, futile. Acknowledging God in all our ways leads to true knowledge and wisdom and power. When we trust Him with all our hearts and minds, He will direct our steps on each path we take. He will strengthen us for the uphill paths and prepare us or even catch us when we slip or fall. He holds our hands and guides us on slippery slopes where we have no other aid. He teaches us to take both success and failure in proper stride. He will keep us from needless strife and hold us in the protective cusp of His palm. We do not know which effort or plan of ours will yield what result but the Lord knows and He guides us in our decisions and choices. When we are overwhelmed by circumstances, we will realize that He is still in control. The centrality of faith in our lives will keep us anchored and stable even in the midst of great afflictions. We will be able to patiently face it like Job and learn the lessons the Lord wants to teach us or demonstrate to others through us. We must, therefore, yield ourselves like soft putty in His awesome hand. We need to be sensitive to His touch, His taste, His whisper, His nod, His glance, His word, His Spirit.