Blazing the trail with Bill…and Jesus
Bill the trail blazer!
Bill and I are avid hikers and we’re blessed with an abundance of hiking trails here in Newbury Park, including some that are literally a stone’s throw from our house. In fact, directly behind our neighborhood stands a towering mountain I’ve nicknamed “Sauer Mountain.” I dream of putting a big statue of Jesus at the top, one that looks like Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. People would see it from miles away and could make pilgrimages to the top to pray and take in the sweeping views of God’s creation. That’d be SO cool!!
But I digress…when we go hiking, I like to let Bill take the lead so he can clobber any snakes that may come our way. He can pound them on the head with his hiking stick! It’s a good metaphor for the spiritual journey too: letting my trusted trail boss Jesus take the lead, so he can stomp out the snake that inevitably lies in wait, hoping to catch me off guard.
C.S. Lewis said, “There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.” We’re in a spiritual battle and our enemy is relentless. He knows our weak spots and he’s hard at work trying to tear us down and weaken our will.
But the good news is we’re not fighting this battle alone, and moreover, the war has already been won! The Holy Spirit is with us at all times, defending us in battle and claiming victory over our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, our redeemer. (Cristo El Redentor! I’m so obsessed with that towering statue of Christ in Brazil!) If we believe in Jesus as our Savior, confess our sins to God and receive his gift of unending grace, we share in Christ’s ultimate victory over sin and death.
Pope Francis is quick to warn us of the devil’s wily tactics. Earlier this year he said the devil, “mixes his own voice with the many other voices that try to tame our conscience…to experience the intoxication of transgression.” The devil is so sneaky!
May we train the “ears” of our soul to listen only to the voice of the Good Shepherd, who speaks truth into our lives and reminds us that no matter how often we mess up, God the Father loves us and forgives us. May we follow closely in the footsteps of our Savior, who protects us from the attacks of the sly and cunning serpent. And may Christ Jesus always blaze the trail ahead of us!