The Road Taken

May 18^th was our last day of school, and of all the things that we could do, I had my 7^th and 8^th grade English students recite a poem. (They had plenty of advance notice, by the way. About a month prior, they had each chosen a poem to memorize from the book 101 Great American Poems.) I don’t know that I have always appreciated poetry, but I have grown to love it. Writing poems is an art. The words in a poem must be carefully chosen, hand-picked to fit the mood, the message, and often the rhyme and rhythm of the poem. Two of my students chose to memorize Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” a poem I myself memorized for my freshman speech class in college and loved. Read these words. If you’re in a spot where you can read out loud, I suggest you do so.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

 

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

 

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

 

There’s something about this poem that stirs the senses – it’s nostalgic, and Frost’s metaphor of two paths in the woods aptly reminds us that life is full of such choices. In choosing one path in life, we are saying no to another path. There is a sadness, a feeling of loss in the lines “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.” We feel that, don’t we? One of the most vivid memories I have in this regard was boarding an airplane to leave Germany, the country I had grown up in, where my family and friends resided, to fly to the States for college. I knew that though I would visit Germany again, it would probably never be home again. And I cried. Yes, our ways lead on to other ways, and the life that we lived we can live no longer. Time moves on. We can’t go back and experience the other road, see that scenery and live that life. Frost understands this, and tells it “with a sigh” years later as he reminisces. Yet he ends this poem on a hopeful note. The road he chose has made all the difference; it has brought him to where he is now. The same is true for us. Our choices have led us to where we are. I am living here in Chattanooga, married to my sweet husband, and a member of Grace Baptist Church in part because I boarded that plane and said goodbye to my home.

What I found fascinating this time as my students recited the poem was its title. Interestingly, Frost does not call this poem “The Road Taken;” he calls it “The Road Not Taken.” Why does his title focus on the road he didn’t take? Is he regretting it? Is he wondering how his life would have been different had he taken the other road? I don’t know, and I don’t know if you may regret some of the roads you have taken in your life. But here’s where I found such comfort as I pondered this. While I stand at these crossroads in life and make choices to say “yes” to one path and “no” to another, I am at the same time being led by a sovereign God. It is true; this is a mystery: the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. But just because it is a mystery makes it no less true. Proverbs 16:9 tells us, “The mind of a person plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”  Sister in Christ, you don’t need to look back and wonder about the road not taken. You are where your sovereign and loving God has led you. Serve him in this place. And as you look back to the place where “two roads diverged” in your yellow wood, thank God that He was there leading you to the path that “made all the difference” and live here, in this place, for His glory. 

--Amy O'Rear

The Joy of the Lord

 There’s an old song that goes like this:

 

“The windows of Heaven are open. The blessings are falling tonight.

 There’s joy, joy, joy in my heart since Jesus made everything right.

I gave Him my old, tattered garments. He gave me a robe of pure white!

I’m feasting on manna from Heaven and that’s why I’m happy tonight!” 

(author unknown)

 

I pulled this song out of the recesses of my brain one evening while driving home. I was bone tired from working all day, and I had a full evening of babysitting ahead of me. Those who have dealt with toddlers know that as enjoyable as they can be, they suck all the energy out of your being, especially if you are a person of a certain age. And I did not have any energy left. Like I said, bone tired. I wondered how I would make it through the rest of what was left of my day. 

Then, the Spirit of God reminded me that the joy of the LORD could be my strength, so I began to think of songs I knew related to that. This one came to mind, so I began to sing. Then came, “I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart!” and “The joy of the LORD is my strength.” I sang all the way home and asked God to give me the strength I needed. I cannot say that I was physically resurrected, but my spirit was lighter, my attitude was more cheerful, and I had the necessary strength to do what needed to be done. 

The Apostle Paul said, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

(I Thessalonians 5:16-18) Joy, prayer, and gratitude work together. It’s God’s will for us! Thanksgiving is every day, not just a day in November. 

I want to be known as a joyful person and to have the strength the joy of the LORD brings. (After all, my name suggests it.) Don’t you?

 

joyce hague

Huldah

 

One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is about Huldah. Though often overlooked, Huldah has been called “A woman who helped lead an apostate nation back to God.”

The story is recorded in II Chronicles 34. Josiah was crowned king when he was only eight years old. He reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years. Here is a very important verse about King Josiah that will set the stage for our lady Huldah:

(Vs. 2) “And he (King Josiah) did that which was right in the sight of the Lord...”

This was a very important decision for a young king. He did not follow the evil reigns of the kings before him who had led the children of Israel in idol worship. Someone in Josiah’s life must have influenced him to love the Lord.

(Vs. 3, 4) When he was only 16, he began to seek the Lord earnestly. When he was 20, Josiah began to break down the carved images and altars to Baal until (vs. 7) “He had cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel...”

(Vs. 9) When he was 26, Josiah sent helpers to repair the House of the Lord that was broken down. As the men were working, they discovered (Vs. 14) “a book of the law of the Lord given to Moses.”

Shaphan, the scribe, reported to King Josiah that all was done as the king had commanded...and...by the way... (Vs. 18) “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” When Shaphan began to read it to the king, King Josiah tore his robes. He immediately asked the men to (Vs. 21) “Inquire of the Lord concerning the words of the book...for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the Word of the Lord...”

ENTER HULDAH (Vs. 22) “And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the college).” Since her husband was keeper of the wardrobe, this college would be where the royal wardrobe or the priests’ clothing was stored. Apparently, Huldah was known for her trust in God and the wisdom to know His will.

Huldah’s message was honest and very difficult to hear. (Vs. 23-28) She warned that God’s judgment would fall on the people of Israel because they had completely rejected Him and burned incense to other gods.

BUT...(Vs. 26-27)  Huldah told the men that the Lord God of Israel had seen Josiah’s heart that it was tender and humble before the Lord. God would not bring judgment until Josiah himself was “gathered to his grave in peace.”

The men listened to Huldah and gave her message to the King.

What was the result of the woman’s bold statement even to the King? She didn’t know how he would react or what might happen to her.

(Vs. 31-33) The King called all the people, great and small, and they stood while King Josiah read the Word of God to them...many hearing it for the first time!

Chapter 35 tells us he reinstated the Passover, encouraged the priests to do God’s will, placed the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple, and supplied animals so that all would be able to sacrifice to the Lord. What a marvelous tribute to this woman who was so close to the Lord that she could give instruction even to the King about God’s plan. And we are reading about her today! She was a woman who was used to bring a nation back to the Lord. Stay close to the Lord! Seek His wisdom daily. You never know what opportunity He might have for you.

 --Maylou Holladay

All Things

 

This week I was listening to a sermon on the radio and the preacher referred to a particular passage.  Immediately I left that sermon and was transported back thirty-eight years, listening to the passage.  I was listening to a tape when the woman speaker referred to II Corinthians 4.  I was a bit smug since I had been studying II Corinthians.

        I need to explain a bit of my circumstances.  I was pregnant and had just lost a twin.  In order to make sure I did not lose the second twin, the doctor had ordered complete bed rest.  This was especially difficult since I had three other children--almost four, two and a half, and almost one. Women from the church in the morning and college students from my Sunday school class in the afternoon kept my household running.  Without them I could never have obeyed the doctor.

        Now, back to II Corinthians 4:15-18.  The speaker began reading and I said, "Wait!  What are you reading?  I've never heard that!"

        (Have you ever done that?  Suddenly the Holy Spirit puts a passage in bold print and you are sure you've never heard those words, though you've read them many times.)

        Here are the words I heard:

         All things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.  (KJV)

        This is what I heard, in my words:

        All things are for your benefit that God's glory may be seen by many.  Others are watching you to see how you are handling this circumstance.  This is physical, but what is important is what's going on inside of you.  This is only temporary.  Fix your eyes on the eternal things that will last forever.

        In the NASB verses 16 and 17 read, 

        Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.

        I like the phrase, "we do not lose heart."  When our circumstances are difficult we can lose heart, be ready to give up.

        I memorized that passage by flashlight that night, trying not to disturb my husband.  I have quoted it many times since.  My mantra became "All things are for my sake."  In the next few months I had occasion to repeat it over and over:

        that confinement;

        a week hospitalization once I was allowed up;

        my one-year-old hospitalized for life-threatening spinal meningitis a week after I got out of the hospital;

        the results of meningitis--a baby who could hardly hold his head up, much less sit, crawl, or walk;

        and a baby who came early because of complications.

        You see why I had to repeat it over and over?  All things are for my sake.  Yes, all of these were only temporary, not eternal.

        So why should all of these things happen?  First, to bring glory to God.  You remember when the disciples saw the man who had been born blind, they said, 'Who sinned, this man or his parents?"  Jesus said, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."

        Related to this reason, the week before the crucifixion certain Greeks came to Philip, saying, "Sir, we would see Jesus." Today there are many who want to see Jesus.  Are our responses to life pointing others to Jesus?

        God intends for us to comfort others who are going through difficulties.  II Corinthians 1:3-5 says, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."  Others are coming behind us who need to see what God did for us in our pain.

        Other reasons might involve something we need to learn or even preparation for something else that is coming, but I believe there's one more very important reason.  God is making us like Himself and there may be things in our lives that hinder His goal, things that are keeping us from being what He wants us to be.  God allowed Job to be tested, and this is what Job said in chapter 23, verse 10.  "But He knows the way that I take:  When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."  The heating of gold brings impurities to the top.  And I have many impurities that need to be skimmed off.  God intends to purify me to make me what He can use.

        Many times through these years I've been reminded that though my outward self appears to be perishing, my inner self is being renewed day by day. What is God allowing in your life that is difficult? Money problems? Family conflicts? Health issues?  Whatever it is, God has allowed it.  All things are for your sake.

 

                                                                        ~~Faith Himes Lamb