You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.”
(2 Samuel 22:37 NLT)
Here, the word “path” is a metaphor. It refers to a strategic route for you to reach your destination safely. Jude 1:24 puts it this way:
“Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.” (Jude 1:24 NLT).
Your path may be that persistent thought you are trying to stifle: it is like a piece of filtering cloth; when you squeeze it, the contents seep through the fabric.
It is a thought of doom, straight from hell itself. And your feet are on the verge of slipping, for the path is very narrow. You know it leads to death, yet you strive to surrender and let yourself go, only to end up walking that very same path.
That path might represent an intensely toxic relationship from which you see no other escape, an illicit business venture, or any course of action you know to be unjust. God broadens your path—the way you are meant to go—by making you feel uncomfortable and stripping away your peace; He sends people to help you and even to fill the void you feel.
When you are as stubborn as a mule and reject the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit, you run headlong into a wall.
“Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” (Psalms 32:9 NLT).
My Garden of Exotic Thoughts