Beyond BeliefSample

When it comes to getting lost on a trail, it's easier than you might think. You think you've only taken a few steps off the trail and then you look around and, all of a sudden, everything looks unfamiliar. You start walking in the direction you think the trail is in, but wait . . . are you just getting further away from the trail now? Maybe you should go back and start over. Wait. Which way is back? Uh-oh . . .

This is why, when you're going on a hike in the forest, it's important to stick to the trail, no matter what. Just a few steps off the right path, and you might find yourself lost for a long time.

It feels like life might be the same way, right? We disobey God a few times, do a few things we know we shouldn't, and all of a sudden, it feels like we're way off track. We wander just a few steps from God's path and feel completely lost. Why even try to get back on the trail?

The guy who wrote today's psalm felt this way, too. But he also knew God doesn't just abandon us when we stray off the path. That's why he asked God to forgive him for the mistakes he made when he was young and to teach him the right path. It's easy to get lost in a forest, but it's impossible for God to lose us.