THE PATH OF LIFE

You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11

Preserve me O God, for in You I put my trust.  Psalm 16:1

It was a very expensive mistake. I neglected the maintenance of the sewer line, and when it became apparent a problem was brewing, I attempted to fix it myself. My amateurish efforts proved useless, and a messy film of raw sewerage flooded the basement laundry. My problem was now compounded: the stinking mess needed clearing; all the plumbing in the entire house was inoperable; and the clogged line still had to be cleared. It now needed an urgent call to 3 experts. Sigh.

Preserve me Is a desperate cry, but it is often misdirected, compounding the problem.

• Self help, as addicted people in recovery testify, is the proud man’s attempt to fix matters himself. With real problems it usually leads to denial or masking; deliverance requires the confession “I am helpless and need to submit to a Higher Power.” HELP!
• Human help normally consists of sound advice (repeated to the point of nagging in some relationships) all pretty useless for someone caught in a life threatening situation. What is the point of a lifeguard who responds to the cry of help from a drowning person by reading “A Dummy’s Guide to Swimming” over a loudspeaker?
• David’s cry is addressed to an Expert Helper. Preserve me O God, for in You I put my trust.  The Hebrew word for God is EL (אל ‘el). It means strong, mighty, a mighty one, a hero.

He is a capable helper that can be trusted.

This lifeguard plunges right into our ocean of turmoil. Isaiah (9:2) records:  

 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.

Then he describes the light in v 6:

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, ( אל EL)
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

What a Life Guard!

• The Mighty God shows us the path of life:
• his counsel causes wonderment;
• he bestows his peace upon us;
• all as a wise heavenly father.

He is the three-fold Expert who clears the sewer line, cleans the mess and restores the plumbing to full functionality.

When there is a stinking mess, there is no point in waiting. Cry to him for help right now, and determine to discover the dynamics of The Path as we continue in Psalm 16.