Hazards of the Trail...the Wayfarer 1/5/13

Hazards of the Trail
1/5/13

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

(Matthew 7: 13 & 14)

Today, we revisit scripture from the Sermon on the Mount and from other teachings found in Matthew.  The 12^th verse of this passage is the golden rule, and may never be emphasized enough!

The title is taken from a conversation not long ago that brought back memories from many years ago when undergoing a training course for what became my profession for many years.

Toward the end of that training, we young soldiers were taken through a densely wooded area, intended to represent what we could expect to face if and when we found ourselves in a distant land that was hostile to our presence there.

As we walked through the woods on a trail that had been carefully laid out for our lesson, and for our protection as well, we walked in a “ranger file” with our instructor just behind our point man.

  Being novices, our point came upon a piece of the trail that looked perfectly normal to include an area covered by what appeared to be wind-blown leaves from the surrounding trees.

He would have continued down this path, never suspecting any danger, had not the instructor stopped him dead in his tracks, called the remainder of us more closely around and divulged the pungi pit that had been dug all the way across the trail. 

This pit was about four feet deep and contained sharpened bamboo stakes embedded at the bottom. 

These stakes were smeared with grease to simulate the human excrement that would have been used in its place had it not been a mere teaching tool.

Once we were sufficiently alerted to the dangers that were to be found below our feet, we continued to progress deeper into the woods.

 Again the instructor was second in line behind what was now a new “point man”. 

With an abundance of caution and attention to the trail beneath our feet we continued farther on until once again the instructor halted the group dead in our tracks.

This time the “point” had missed an all but invisible trip line that was attached to a deadfall trap high above us.

 This consisted of a log, containing spikes which, once tripped, would swing down at just above waist level and impale anything in its way.

The point had been so concentrated on what we had seen in the leaves that he missed the trip line, and also didn’t see the deadfall above us. 

We continued down this trail and were exposed to other hazards along the way, learned to be completely aware of our environment and the possibilities that all was not what it seemed to be as we attempted to get to our destination.

We were taught how not to react in a natural manner  by running from fire from the sides, but to  immediately recognize and react to several ambush tactics used by our enemies, and by our own people as well. 

Once we exited this trail, we were taken to a bleacher area to discuss what had been learned and given to another instructor for a class on how to recognize other hazards around us. 

At one point he told us that we could be completely surrounded by a clever enemy without ever seeing him. 

To prove the point he had his cadre stand up from their various hiding places, which did indeed surround us without our having seen them.

They were dressed in funny uniforms including helmets that I remember thinking looked like something from a cartoon.

 This caused many to laugh and wonder what was next.

What was next was that these people dressed in these funny uniforms took us prisoner in what became an exercise in escape and evasion.

I realize that this is a long and personal story, but I use it to illustrate the point I hope to make with today’s sermon.

Lessons learned that day have never left this old soldier and have served him well over the many years that have since passed. 

There are hazards that surround us continually on the path we follow throughout our lives.

Often those hazards are not readily visible to us as we attempt to progress to the end of the trail, and unless we are cognizant of them, we may find that we are at the end of the trail, still not within reach of the intended destination, but prisoners of a clever enemy that we never knew existed.

The greatest lie ever told is that Satan does not exist. 

This lie conceals the hazards that we face daily and if believed would lead to the broad and seemingly easy path to destruction and imprisonment in the bonds of sin that he would prepare for us at its end. 

The only point man that we may rely on is Jesus himself.

 He is aware of all the hazards, and is able to stop us in our tracks to avoid them. 

He is also capable of assisting us in our escape and evasion of an enemy who has no mercy, but takes delight in the misery that he would gleefully inflict on our souls just as that old enemy from years ago took joy in the pain inflicted on our bodies.

In order for Jesus to take point, we have to make the decision to allow him to do so, and trust each decision that he makes for our lives.

If we deviate from the path that seems so treacherous, and is, without his help, we will find ourselves unable to even know what the pitfalls and dead falls prepared for us are.

In addition to experience, those instructors and their cadre had lesson plans and manuals to guide them in their attempt to teach those lessons.

We have another, far more comprehensive manual and lesson plan available written in clear and concise language to guide us on our paths through living a life for God.

It’s called our Bible.

It contains every bit of information needed to get through the hazards of this trail of life, and reach the destination of life eternal with our Father.

Again, we must rely on instructors to help us with this manual, provide guidance and assist us in interpreting its meaning, but the only reliable point is Jesus!

The only way to comprehend what is required of us to avoid the hazards we face is through prayer and steeping ourselves in His teachings that are contained in that manual!

The first of these that is necessary is that we recognize sin, that there is in fact an adversary to God that we call Satan, and be aware of his camouflaged lies!

Next required is true and contrite repentance for the failures (SINS) that separate us from God’s love and protection, acceptance of His gift of salvation through the sacrifice of his own son, and acceptance of the fact that our only intercessor is that Son.

I had intended to use more scripture from Matthew to give you some signposts to follow as we negotiate this path. 

Instead I ask that you go yourself to the scriptures found in the 25^th chapter of this marvelous manual beginning with the 31^st verse and continuing through to the 46^th verse.

I have unintentionally been lengthier than intended, but sincerely pray that you carefully consider the signposts to which I refer.

 These are, both a way to recognize hazards, and a way to avoid them.

I close this with the sincere love of a simple sinner saved many years past by the grace of God through the shed blood of my Savior, Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer