Choosing the Higher Way
Well howdy, friend, land sakes, look at you wanderin’ up on this here ol’ front porch like you plum just spotted a fresh quilt hangin’ on the line and came closer to admire all them intricate details in the handiwork of the beautiful coverlet. So, pull up a mighty comfy chair that rocks just enough to remind you life is always movin’. If you could see that ol’ possum right over yonder waddlin’ across the yard like it’s late for a prayer meetin’, you’d know the Lord has a way of teachin’ us through all them critters He scatters around His creation. So, settle yourself in real good, friend. We’re about to be dippin’ into a truth that sho’-nuff’ reaches higher than any treetop in these parts around here.
Isaiah 55:9 tells us, “God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.” That there verse ain’t just poetry. It’s a downright good reminder that while we shuffle around on this earthly level tryin’ to make sense of things, God is plum workin’ from a vantage point we can’t even begin to imagine. Down here, every path we choose eventually loops back around. Walk long enough in any direction, and you’ll end up right where you started. That there’s gravity’s way of keepin’ us grounded.
But spiritually speakin’, gravity has a real ugly cousin called sin. It pulls every human heart straight downward, no matter how noble the philosophy or how polished the belief system. Every earthly path ends at the same place unless Jesus comes and steps in. And here’s where the good news comes struttin’ in like a proud ol’ turkey gobbler that knows it has somethin’ worth showin’. Jesus don’t point to a direction. He says, “I am the way” in John 14:6. His path ain’t just another road. It’s plum another level.
Psalm 18:33 says, “He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me on high places.” That there verse fits this message like a lil’ ol’ raccoon fits a creek bank. God ain’t askin’ us to be draggin’ Him into our plans. He’s plum invitin’ us upward into His. When we walk in the Spirit, we’re walkin’ on a level the enemy can’t reach. That there’s why temptation always tries to pull us back down to the carnal ground where the devil can poke and prod.
I once knew a woman who met Jesus in prison through her profession of faith in Him. The earthly slevel told her was surely bound. The higher level told her she was absolutely free. That there’s what God’s ways do for each of us. They plum lift us above despair, above fear, above hopelessness. They downright remind us that what we see just ain’t all there is.
So, the question totally becomes simple. Which level will we live on? The one that drags us down or the one Jesus invites us up to?
Lord, thank You for lifting me higher than my circumstances. Teach me to walk in Your ways and trust Your thoughts. Help me choose the level where Your truth reigns. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well alright then, friend, look at you sittin’ here with that steady spark in your eyes. As you git to steppin’ off this porch, let the Lord guide your steps the way a tall oak stands firm even when the wind gets rowdy. You don’t need a whole armload of ideas. Just carry the one truth He tucked into your heart today. His ways are higher, His path is sure, and He is ready to lift you where the enemy can’t reach. Now go on out there and meet the rest of your day with the quiet confidence of someone who downright knows they’re walkin’ on higher ground.
With joy,
Gwen
