Praising God for the Ruts
God has done it again. Yes, my friends, once again, God has taken a seemingly common phrase and opened my eyes to a real treasure. I love it when He does that! It's discoveries like this that keep me coming back to the Bible time and time again in search of more blessings. Oh, God's Word is precious! Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let me explain to you what God shared with me in my morning devotions yesterday.
“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.”
This is a beautiful verse on the surface alone, but when we dig a little deeper, we find something extraordinary. The Hebrew word translated "paths" is the same word used to describe wheel tracks or ruts. So, the verse could read, "All the wheel tracks of the Lord. . ." or "All the ruts of the Lord. . ."
I don't know about you, but neither of those has the same poetic essence as the word "paths." Besides, when I think of a rut, it's not typically a good thing. We've all heard the phrase "stuck in a rut." A rut is a state of monotony. It's generally a tedious place we long to escape, right? What could be good and encouraging about a rut? I'm glad you asked. The way I see it, there are two ways of looking at the "ruts" mentioned in the passage above.
First, I see where the Lord's mercy and truth are ever-present, even in the ruts of life. No matter how dire the situation or how difficult the circumstance, I can count on God's mercy and truth to see me through. Whether the rut I find myself in is along the path God has for me or along a road of my choosing, the Lord's mercy and truth won't abandon me there. He will always be with me, leading, guiding, correcting, and comforting.
Second (and I can't stop thinking about this), we could look at it this way. The Lord has traveled the paths of mercy and truth so many times in our lives that He has created ruts. Hallelujah! So often we fail. So many times, we let Him down. He could leave us alone to figure things out or clean up our own messes, but He doesn't. Instead, He lovingly says, "Yes, she fell short again, but I have enough mercy and truth to set everything right." And once again, He runs down those roads of mercy and truth, creating deeper ruts with every step. And then, when I mess up again and wonder if I've gone too far this time, all I have to do is look back and see those ruts which remind me my sin can never exceed God's mercy and truth.
And you know one more good thing about ruts? They make it easier to stay on the path. Have you ever driven through snow and discovered how much simpler it is to drive in the ruts left behind by other motorists? Or maybe you’ve hiked in the woods and been able to spot the right way because of the ruts created by the many hikers who’ve walked the trail before you. Yes, in the same way, the ruts of God’s mercy and truth make it easier for us to find the right path and stay on it. In a sense, they guide us and keep us from going astray.
Dear one, if you're saved by God's grace and doing your best to live right, take comfort in the ruts of life. See them as reminders of God's never-ending mercy and truth. He's on your side, and He'll never leave you. You can trust Him!