Where is the Right Road?
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Keys to Understanding Where the Right Road Is
Psalm 25:1 KJV:
Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
Psalm 25:1 ESV:
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
Psalm 25:2–3 KJV:
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. 3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
Waiting means to entwine your heart together with God’s.
See also Growing in Faith Waiting on the Lord.
Psalm 25:4–7 KJV:
4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.
In verse four, there are two completely different words used. “Show me thy ways” is “make known to me thy ways.” That’s a prayer we can say, too.
Isaiah 55:8–9 KJV:
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
How do we find out what the ways of God are?
Psalm 25:8–12 KJV:
8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths [same word “way”] of the LORD are mercy and truth [lovingkindness and faithfulness] unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11 For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. 12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way [road] that he shall choose.
Hillsong: Show Me Your Ways
We seek God to teach us; the answer is going to come from Him.
Psalm 25:13 KJV:
His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret [intimate counsel] of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
If we want to have intimate closeness with God, then it’s going to be because of awe.
Intimacy: Marked by close association or acquaintance and relating to one’s deepest nature. Other definitions have to do with a personal relationship.
Psalm 27:8– KJV:
8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. 9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path [level road, plain—not hard to find], because of mine enemies.
Psalm 25:13 KJV:
His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret [intimate counsel] of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
John 14:5–6 KJV:
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way [the road]? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way [the road], the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
See also The Red Thread, Part 5.
The Tabernacle is a picture of the road. The three entrances to the different areas of the Tabernacle were called “the way, the truth, and the life.”
The large entrance into the outer court was called “The Way.” Everyone had to go through that first. That corresponds to there is no salvation in any other name than Jesus Christ. You had to go through that. You had to go through that gate in order to get into the presence of God.
The first thing you see when you enter the outer court is the altar. Everyone comes by way of a sacrifice, an offering. All of the offerings foreshadowed or pointed to Jesus Christ.
The next thing you come to is the brazen laver, where the priests would wash their hands and get cleansed. For us, that refers to forgiveness of sins.
The next door separates the outer court from the holy place and is called “The Truth.” In the holy place is the table of the shewbread, the menorah (lamp), and the altar of incense. The bread represents the Word, the bread of life. The lamp represents walking in light; God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. It illuminates the path. Next is the altar of incense; incense represents prayers that go up to God.
You come through the light of the Word, but before you get to the holy of holies is prayer. Jesus Christ made it possible for us to enter into God’s very presence and have a close relationship with Him.
Our closeness with God is not from the outside. God is in us. God in Christ in us.
Psalm 86:11 KJV:
Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
“Unite my heart” means to not have a divided heart.
Psalm 85:7–8 KJV:
7 Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.
8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
Sometimes, we don’t hear because our heart is divided, and we are asking too broad a question. Perhaps we need to break the question down into bite-size pieces. Sometimes, we need to ask how to get peaceful so we can hear.
Scripture References
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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