by Victoria Heinecke

Staying focused in our walk.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts…
I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.
Psalm 119:109-110,112 English Standard Version

Last week, I made my first summit of the Manitou Incline Trail with a friend. Built on the remains of an old finicular railway, the Incline is a favorite training trail for hikers and athletes. It ascends a mountainside while making a steep 2,000-foot elevation gain in less than a mile.

For me, and many others, reaching the summit is a measure of fitness accomplishment. Climbing the Incline was a goal for 2018, and I prepared for it with weeks of leg exercises and hours on a stair climbing machine.

My friend and I began our ascent at sunrise, and the time went quickly as we talked.

The trail uphill was obvious! We climbed the 2,660 wooden steps and voila! There was the summit, and it only took about 90 minutes. After enjoying an exhilarating view of Colorado Springs, and the eastern plains, we took the gentler slope of Barr Trail back down to Manitou Springs.

Barr Trail was not so obviously marked, and while we chatted on the trip down, it soon became apparent that we were no longer on the Trail. We looked around, tried a path, realized it was not yet the trail, and tried again. Eventually, we heard a group of hikers nearby, and followed their voices, which led us back to the real trail. Aside from a couple of tumbles on my part, the rest of the hike downhill was uneventful.

How often do we become distracted with life’s adventures, and surroundings, only to realize we’ve strayed off the path God has set before us?

Distractions can be fun, like a hike, or they can be something that causes us to stray from our path. They can lead us away from God’s providence, and protection.

God’s word is our compass, and guide, as we travel through this side of eternity. There are so many distractions in the world, and many are set by Satan to cause us to stray from God. The trail may appear easy, and sure, until we find ourselves off the path completely. Seeking an intimate relationship with God, in his word, helps to guide us, and warn us. By heeding his warnings we can stay on the real path, close to God.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 
Psalm 119:105  English Standard Version

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