Making rough places smooth

One of my friends suggested that the Old Testament verse Isaiah 42:16 would be an encouragement to me, and it is! It reads:

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." (TNIV)

We are moving out into country that is new to us, but the Lord will lead us. There are many unfamiliar, narrow and twisting paths, but the Lord will guide us. During the long winter nights, the Lord will shine his light and turn the darkness into light before us. He will make the rough places smooth, and the photo above shows a good example of one of the rough places - the Ben Loyal range to the South of Tongue.

The Lord God will do these things. He will not abandon us.

Sometimes life seems too rough and we want God, someone, anyone, to make life easier, less rough, smoother. But God's ways are not our ways. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8, TNIV)

God will give us strength to travel whatever path He sets before us, if we continue to walk in his ways. "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31, TNIV)

Turn away from the ways of the world and follow the Lord's ways. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. He is a faithful God. You can trust in his love - forever!