Making Crooked Paths Straight

Isaiah 45:2, “I will go before you and make crooked paths straight.”

When I was a director of women’s ministry many years ago, one of my team members would pray that if we were off the path of God’s plan that He would make our crooked paths straight. I always loved that mindset and heart of surrender. There are days I think I have it all planned out only to realize, no, I don’t. I am given each day to either use it for my plan or God’s. There are many days I wake up to my “to do” list, put my head down, and plow forward doing my best to be as productive as possible. I have my agenda, and no one better get in my way.

But recently, during this time of what my teenage daughter calls “The Q,” I have restructured my day. I have learned that each day I have been given is not my own, but a gift to be used for God’s purposes. I have realized there have been too many days where I go ahead, make decisions, whether good or not, but based on what I want. These decisions have not all been bad, but some have created challenging situations that I never needed to face.

Let me be honest with you; I am someone who grew up in a secure Christian home. I have always been exposed to and knew the truth. I have studied at Christian Colleges, even went to seminary (this is not a bragging moment; this is a full-disclosure moment). However, I have still made some of the worst decisions that have not only caused me pain but others as well. There are days I would give anything to redo. I have regrets that continue to punch the depth of my soul. And unfortunately, some of those choices were more public than I would want. I even had someone ask me if I were still a “Christ Follower.” So why do I share all of this with you? Because even though I have no excuse for the choices I made, regardless of the circumstances, God still fiercely pursues me.

I have trained for many running events, and it takes a host of endurance to complete some of those races. I had to stay focused. I had to get up early hours sometimes in the bitter cold and commit to hitting the trail no matter how I felt. If I wanted to be successful, I had to surrender to the schedule, the pain, the discipline, the frustration all to get to the finish. When I stayed the course, I was able to complete my goal with great satisfaction and no regrets.

This is how I am to live in a relationship with God. I am to surrender to Him every day, no matter how I feel. I am to trust and let Him lead even through the pain, the discipline, and the frustration. He is to be my focus, not my “to do” list, not my children, not my wants, HIM. He is the ONE to lead me.

I have created many crooked paths in my life. I zigged and zagged through circumstances I would not wish on anyone. I have tried to make ways where ways were never meant to be. I have climbed high and fallen deep. We all have crooked paths.  But by God’s grace, I am here. I am on a new path—morning by morning new mercies I see.

Now, every morning, ok, almost every morning (I’m a work in progress), I start with a surrendering of the day to God. Some mornings I have uninterrupted prayer, reading, and mediation, which could last over an hour. Other mornings it is a prayer, acknowledging, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” But every day, I give it over to God, allowing him to lead and make my crooked paths straight. You, too, can walk on the straight and narrow. It is not easy, trust me; it is a daily surrender. Nonetheless, my God, who is faithful, who relentlessly pursued me, does the same for you. He loves you, and He desires to make your path straight.