Trust and Spider Webs

Proverbs 3:5-6 state "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths." 

 

     These verses have been referred to by some folks as "the John 3:16" of the Old Testament because they been memorized and cherished by so many Bible believers.  I know that I memorized them early on in my walk with the Lord, and I pretty much quote them every day as I pray and think about approaching another day of life.

     It is interesting to note that the concept of trust

is compared to leaning on something for support.  If I have learned anything while trekking 1,200 miles on the Appalachian Trail it is this lesson: do not put your full weight on any tree, root, branch, rock or trekking pole that you are uncertain of because the results can end ones trek in a flash. 

      I must admit that there have been a few times when I entrusted my full weight to a root or branch that was hanging within hand's grasp to pull myself up a difficult section of an incline without being %100 sure it would hold.  Thank God I never had a serious fall due to putting my trust in an unreliable source of support, but in retrospect, I know that could have happened.  Yeah, yeah I know it was stupid but at the time I was in a predicament and that untested source of support was within my grasp and the temptation to utilize it was hard to resist.

     While walking the AT, I have met quite a few followers of Jesus the Messiah, and our fellowship has been an encouragement.  However the majority of the folks I have entered into a conversation with regarding spiritual things have made it clear they do not share my faith in Jesus.  Some have said they are agnostic, while a few have made it clear they are atheists.  Others have made it known to me that they are into "spirituality"  but they are not into any form of religion.  When I press them to define by what they mean by spirituality, their answers are all over the map.

      "Hmm, let me get this straight, you are entrusting your current and eternal welfare on some notion of 'being spiritual' and yet you can only supply vague answers regarding what your source of such significant trust and faith looks like?"  

     What does all this have to do with spider webs?  Job 8:13-14 states "Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish.  His confidence is severed, and his trust is a spider's web."

     I mentioned in a recent blog that as I head south alone I am usually busting all the spider webs on the trail, since I am now meeting very few people headed north.  As I expressed in that blog, while it

is irritating to constantly be forced to wipe spider webs from ones face, the fact is that no web has been hard to bust or walk through.  Sure, some of them look impressive when they have dew on them, and are viewed in the sunlight at a certain angle; but ultimately all are easy to knock down with my trekking poles or my body.

     Having your AT trek ended unexpectedly due to putting your trust in an unreliable object would be a sad thing.  But it will be much sadder and ultimately catastrophic for all those who in this life put their trust in, or lean their whole weight on, a false source of hope for their eternal welfare.  

     Isaiah 49:23 reads in part "...Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed."   That is food for thought for not only those walking the AT, but for everyone in all walks of life.

Uncle