‘…Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.’ Robert Frost
The above quote comes from a poem entitled, ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost.
If one were to be going through a forest and in the process lose the way, the most logical decision would be to follow a beaten path in order to find the way to the lost trail. Following an unused path comes with uncertainty, fear of the unknown and possible unforeseen danger – thus, not many would choose to venture in that direction unless there was no other option.
In life it is often more comfortable to follow a road that is commonly used by many people. Since we are social beings, we love the company of others and feel less threatened when we are in predictable surroundings. Many of us find ourselves importing this way of thinking into our spiritual journeys and expect that the walk will be en masse. The truth of the matter is that, the Christian walk is mostly a personal relationship and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Each person has a specific purpose in life which we must accomplish; and this means that some stretches of the journey will not involve other people but us, walking alone with the Lord.
There are times when for the mission at hand to be accomplished, we must follow a road not followed by most. When Abram needed to transition into being the father of many nations, God told him to do something that was very unfamiliar to him:
‘Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him…‘
Esther needed to deliver her people from annihilation and had to approach the king without his invitation which in Babylonian law meant sure death! In Esth. 4:16, she solicited for a fast to seek God’s favour:
“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
God granted her the favour she sought with the king and her people were saved from looming disaster. Both Abraham and Esther did not shy away from taking up assignments that were unusual, unfamiliar and unique. This caused them to make a great impact on the entire human race. We too can trust God with the less trodden paths that He calls upon us to walk so that we may make the necessary changes and differences needed in our generations.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we ask for Your help and courage whenever we have to take less trodden paths in order to accomplish some of the missions that You assign to us.
