September Blog

What is “The Path Forward?”

It is the road ahead of us. It is uncharted territory. It is the unknown, yet it is known.

It is the direction Faith Lutheran Church and School WILL GO!

The road ahead of us is the future of Faith. It is the direction that God calls us to go. He does not lead us backwards, to a past that is perceived as better, if not more familiar than the future. The road ahead can potentially be a road of missteps. It can be a road of misdirection. It can be scary and not worth the risk.

HOWEVER…

With Jesus, the Good Shepherd leading us down the road ahead that HE wants us one, we will acknowledge the past and embrace the future. The future has possibilities not yet explored. And with Jesus in the lead, we have no fear. His “rod and his staff” give us great comfort. We will not misstep because we will be walking in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd and our Master. With Jesus in the lead, there is no misdirection. There is no wrong turn. We will keep our eyes on Him, the author and perfector of our faith. “Have no fear little flock,” for the Lord God, our Savior and Redeemer is on the point. We trust His voice. It gives us comfort and peace while the world around us is crazy.

The path forward is unchartered territory for us. What does the future look like? Can we see it? All we see is trees blocking our way to a yet undiscovered future. And charting a new path forward can be daunting if not outright scary. The present is not “great,” but it’s better than what lies ahead, right?

WRONG.

The present, the situation in which we are in, can be nice and comfortable. Yet the pasture we are currently in will no longer sustain the flock. The flock needs to move to a new pasture that is full of life and opportunity. The flock needs room to grow. And the Good Shepherd knows where that pasture is. He knows what is best for His flock. So let us trust Him and His leadership onto the “Road Less Travelled.”

One of the greatest fears that we have is the “fear of the unknown.” What is beyond? What will Faith be like in the future? In our limited eyesight, we don’t see past the nose on our face. We observe something that is a way off. Yet we are not explorers. Venturing into the great unknown strikes at our hearts and sometimes paralyzes us.

YET…

We do know the path forward. It is beyond this world’s point of view. It is definitely outside of our sight line. At the same time, it is right in front of our nose. The path forward ultimately ends with us living in heaven with God; the Father who created us, the Son, Jesus, who saved us, and the Holy Spirit, who guides us to follow Jesus. Between here and there is an adventure, pasture after pasture of possibilities, making disciples along the way as the flock grows. 

So, there is the path forward and the Shepherd who is leading us on it. Let us go forth and follow where He wants us to go.

See you in Bible Talks groups as well as in Divine Service.

Pastor Robert