Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. Psalm 119:35

My favorite part of the The Hobbit is when Gandalf urges the dwarves and Bilbo to stay on the path. He warns them that the there will come a time when circumstances will wrangle you to abandon the right road and follow a different way; he cautions them that this will lead to disaster. They do, and it does.

God has provided a path to happiness in our lives. That doesn’t mean we will be trouble or challenge-free, but it does mean that we will have a sustaining joy that will get us through those deep valleys and see us safely through to the other side. If you’ve lost your happiness, your hope, and your passion for life, then pray.

Father,

The path I find myself on is not the path I started out on. Somehow, the bells and whistles of my enemy lured me here where I am out of sync with You, Your Word, Your people, and my true self. I repent of being duped by the enemy, of allowing myself to believe his lies, to take his bait, and to turn from the One who knows and loves me. Remove me from this downward path, this slow decline, and put my feet on solid ground. And even when the going gets rough, I’ll not leave your path. I’ll stay with you, trusting you to lead me to the places you have ordained me to go, with Your help.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen

“The safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”
– C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters