Psalm 25:4-5 – Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long. (NIV)

As I was doing some running along a lake path, I decided to do some off-leash training with my small dog, Miss Daisy. This is a path that often has a lot of runners, walkers, dogs, and even the occasional horse. There is a pretty wide path that goes along the lake, and then there are several smaller side paths as well.

What I noticed with Miss Daisy is that as we started our training, she would often head down one of the side paths, and I would have to call her back to the main path. Each time, I would say, "No Daisy, this way", and soon, all I had to say was "uh uh", and then I noticed that I didn't even have to say anything. When she saw me go past the path, she would self-correct and follow me.

This whole training period is not unlike our own Christian walk. When we first start out walking with God, there can be a lot of different distractions, and as we try to head out on our own, God calls us back to the right path and to following Him again. It can go on that way for awhile, until we almost know instinctively not to stray away from the known path. The key is to know where we are in relationship to the One whom we are following.

It reminds me of the well-known Psalm 23 where the psalmist talks about following His shepherd through green pastures and quiet waters and even through the valley of the shadow of death. For the sheep, it is about the relationship with their shepherd. For Miss Daisy, it is about her relationship with me. For us, it is about our relationship with God. If we stray away from the path or from where God wants us to be, we need to heed God's voice that calls us back. What is even better is when we are able to correct ourselves, like Miss Daisy, who was able to tell without my saying a word that she was headed down the wrong path.

It is good for us to take a look at where we are. We need to ask ourselves if we are on the right path. Are we where God wants us to be? If not, we need to listen for God's voice and get back on track.

Prayer: Loving God, we thank You for Your guidance in our lives. We thank You for all the times when You have been there for us even though we strayed away. We are especially thankful for the times when You have called us back to Yourself. Thank You for never giving up on us. Help us to find our way back to You. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Ruth McCowan <rbmccowan@shaw.ca>
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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