Watch Your Step

My friend and I recently had a day trip to York, we had a wonderful time walking round the city, visiting the shops and the Christmas market. Lots of goodies there!!! I was looking for the river as I wanted to take some photos but it seemed to elude us. Then suddenly we came upon it, there was just one problem, as you went down the path toward the river it got muddier and muddier. My friend being a wise lady stayed put, I continued determined to get my picture and was slipping about all over the place.

As you can imagine, no one else was foolish enough to go through the muddy patch, but it was too late for me, I was in the middle of it. My friend commented to a passerby that should I fall she would not be able to help, as she has a problem with her knee, so she would have been down with me!

I did manage to get a couple of pics, but they weren’t too good as I felt so unstable. As I turned around to head back, I continued slipping. I wondered what I would have done had I slipped down, I had on an off-white coat and off-white trousers, oh my, they would have looked a site, I don’t think the coach driver would have been too pleased with me, getting on the coach looking like I had been mud wrestling!! Finally, I arrived on firm ground after some very dodgy moments, my trousers and coat still clean, but my shoes were caked in mud, I had to wipe them on the grass, was it worth it, you may ask, not really. They had a good clean and polish when I got home!

The path we walk on as Christians is firm, solid and narrow and it is when we walk off this path that we find ourselves in difficulty. Our footing definitely starts to slide, and before long we can find that we have stumbled. David in the Psalms mentions path a number of times, as does Solomon in proverbs. David came off the path of righteousness when he sinned with Bathsheba but he repented of his sin and his relationship was restored when he received forgiveness. Solomon in his old age, despite all his wisdom sinned when he went off the way of righteousness by worshipping the gods, and idols of his pagan wives. There would be consequences to this which we can read about in 1 Kings 11 

No one can say that they have always kept on the path of righteousness, if we are honest with ourselves we oft times slip, and stumble and come up looking filthy, but God in His grace and mercy forgives us when we have a contrite heart, and humbly repent.We soon realise, it just isn't worth it as our relationship with the Lord suffers, and our witness for Him becomes ineffectual,

My friend would not have been able to help me had I fallen in the mud, but fortunately when I acknowledge that I have sinned there is one who will help, it is not a natural friend, it is not a priest, vicar, pastor, or pope. It is not the church, or a denomination, it is not a rite, ritual, or baptism. The only way I can get help, forgiveness, and my relationship restored with the Father, is through Jesus Christ, who is our advocate with the Father.

1 John 2:1-2 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Proverbs 4:14

Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.