When God Clears a Path
Well, now, friend, pull up a chair and settle yourself in up here on this here front porch like you're about to watch a squirrel try to carry three corn cobs at once because this story starts with a whole lot of twists and turns. Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing,” and we will pair it with Psalm 77:14, “You are the God who performs miracles.” These two verses walk together like two ol’, hardworkin’ farm dogs that know exactly where they’re headed and just what needs to be done.
Friend, my road into ministry hasn’t been a straight shot on fresh pavement. It’s looked more like one of those ol’ bumpy backroads that twists past cow pastures, dips through low-water crossin’s, and makes you wonder if your GPS has been sniffin’ glue. I’ve taught Sunday school, wrangled teenagers as a youth director, served as a schoolteacher and administrator, taught college students who thought coffee was a food group, played piano for churches that prayed I wouldn’t be missin’ a key, led children’s choirs that sang louder than a big ol’ flock of geese, traveled as a summer missionary, hopped on planes and buses for mission trips across the U.S. and foreign soil, taught women’s Bible studies, spoke at conferences, and even served as a healthcare chaplain holdin’ hands in hospital rooms where Heaven plum felt like it was only one breath away. And somehow, through every turn, every assignment, and every holy surprise, the Lord kept weavin’ it all together like only He can. Looking back, I can see His fingerprints all over the journey, guidin’ me with more tenderness and precision than I ever realized at the time.
And that’s exactly what He has always done. God has been makin’ a way for His people since long before any of us even knew what a way even was. In Isaiah 43:16-21, He reminded the Israelites that He had split seas, drowned armies, and carved paths through wilderness places. He even pointed out that the wild animals honored Him because He provided water in the wasteland. Friend, if an ol’ thirsty jackal can recognize God’s goodness, surely we can do that, too.
But here’s the part that gets to me every time. God didn’t just make a way back then. He is makin’ a way right now. Psalm 77:14 says, “He performs miracles,” not performed. Present tense. Ongoing. Like a lil’ ol’ woodpecker that plum refuses to quit until the job is all done. He opens prison doors, shuts lion’s mouths, calms storms, and leads His children through deserts with the same confidence an ol’ raccoon has when it sneaks into a corncrib at midnight.
And when we come to the end of ourselves and we realize we can’t depend on our own strength, that’s when His power shines the brightest. What looks impossible to us is simply an opportunity for God to show off His glory. He will make a way. He always has. He always will.
Lord, thank You for bein’ the God who makes a way even when we can’t see one. Help us trust You in the twists, the turns, and the places that feel like wastelands. Refresh us with Your presence and remind us that Your miracles are still unfolding today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well, there it is, friend, and before life starts hollerin’ your name louder than a lil’ ol’ feisty rooster that thinks he runs the whole county, lean in for this last lil’ ol’ bit of truth. God’s guidance is steadier than an ol’ hoot owl perched on a fence post. His timin’ is more faithful than sunrise over a foggy pasture. His love is stronger than an ol’ plow horse that refuses to quit workin’. And His ability to make a way is as certain as the ol’ rooster gittin’ up early and crowin’ for all he’s worth at dawn. Walk on forward with confidence because the same God who carved all them windin’ rivers through deserts is still clearin’ a real good path for you today. That’s our God! Ain’t He awesome!
With joy,
Gwen
