Do Not Go it Alone

Many of you may have seen movies or documentaries about mountaineering and backpacking. They show people climbing ice walls and hanging their tents on cliffs. It is something that takes training and preparation. The body and mind must endure extreme conditions. Backpackers must balance their needs on the trail. They can’t forget any of their gear. Additionally, the season they choose to hike is important. Spring and fall are the easiest to prepare for, so most people will hit the trail during that time of year.

On the other hand, you have a crazy person like me. When I was younger, I preferred to do my hiking when the weather was less ideal. I would wait until a storm approached, and if the weather forecast said snow, it was a go. The more snow the better! I would stuff my pack with winter gear, an ice axe, crampons (a device with metal spikes attached to your boots for traction on ice) and many other tools to reach the top safely. One thing I didn’t take with me was a friend.  One of the most important rules of outdoor adventuring is to never go it alone. That’s what I did: not smart.

I was young and strong, equipped with the necessary gear and knowledge, but I lacked wisdom. Without wisdom, our decisions are unbalanced. This is what I want to discuss: the importance of not going through life on our own and using God’s tools on our journey.       

The trail is fraught with icy switchbacks, and one misstep could lead to disaster. We should seek guidance from the One who truly understands wisdom—the Creator of life, nature and all that we see and do not see. 

What Is Wise?

We can see God’s great power and knowledge in the creation of this vast universe, the wonder and beauty of this world from the smallest particle to the largest stars across our sky. 

From the highest mountain to the deepest dark depths of the ocean, God indeed is awe-inspiring and worthy to be praised. He is offering us the most fulfilling, productive, exciting life that we cannot even imagine! Walk God’s trail. He is easy to talk to and He listens to and understands our wants and needs. He built us from the ground up. He knows. He is not proud and is not going to crush us. 

God sees the big picture and knows the route to success in our climb to the top. Why go alone? He can guide us through the glazed ice we cannot trek through without slipping into disaster. Fearing, honoring and showing God reverence is wisdom because He is God and we are not. It is important to have humility in life and allow God to lead us on the trails of life. Can we humble ourselves and receive God’s tools? He knows our purpose and has a trail mapped out for each one of us if we choose His tools for our journey.

Developing Humility and the Proper Sort of Fear

How do we humble ourselves, and what can we do to receive wisdom? We ask God—He cares. That’s why He wants to see fear in our eyes when we think about harming ourselves with sin. He does not want to watch us slip off the trail and get caught in an avalanche of pain and discouragement! To avoid this happening, use a special tool God has provided: devote 24 hours and fast. Use the time to ask God to work with you. Tell Him your thoughts and feelings and share your life with Him. Show Him respect and look into His word. It will light your trail (Psalm 119:105). He loves you and wants you on the top of His mountain. He knows it’s not an easy climb. The distractions of the world, the uncertainty of the future and the pain we feel emotionally and physically at times make it difficult to see through the heavy wind-driven snow. Please talk to your parents about fasting before you commit that time to God. It’s difficult but God rewards those who seek His counsel. He can calm the storms in our lives. 

An important character trait that comes from humility is the fear of God. In Proverbs 22:4 we are told, “The end [the result or consequence] of humility is the fear of Jehovah” (Young’s Literal Translation).  If we humble ourselves and realize God is the most powerful force in the universe and we comprehend the fact that we are powerless on the trail of life then we will have the fear of God. God deserves our respect.  He has given us the truth; will we accept it? Are we going to think about what the Creator wants, or what this mixed-up world wants? We had better fear our bad decisions and our selfish actions. They can get us into trouble. The fear of God doesn’t mean that we shake with fear in His presence—rather, it is about understanding His ultimate authority in our lives. He is very merciful. He is self-sacrificing love (1 John 4:8). Having humility and fearing God allows us to receive His guidance on how to walk the trail—not to discourage us but to make us stronger to endure the next switchback by giving us wiser vision to see the easier path He has chosen for us (Matthew 11:28-30).

Be afraid of what God may have to do if we are stubborn. It is a difficult life and the trail is steep, but God’s way is easy compared to the world’s. You have the choice right now. Choose the straight trail (Proverbs 3:6). We must become like children in our attitude toward God (Matthew 18:3-4). Our trust must be in His plan for us. We are separated from the world in a special place and God’s spirit will work with us if we choose to pursue a life that pleases Him. God’s way is real life!

Pushing Ahead on a Difficult Trail

God is knocking on your door. Will you open it and talk with Him? You lose nothing by asking questions. First and foremost, be open to receiving God’s instructions and seek His mountain Kingdom, or “royal power, kingship or dominion,” according to Thayer’s Greek definitions on e-sword.net (Matthew 6:33). You may gain wisdom that this world cannot understand.

It is a fight, no doubt about that. You can see others on God’s trail struggle with the steep hills and slippery switchbacks. Your parents, family and friends who have committed to walk on God’s trail are in a constant battle with our enemies. Satan is real! His armies are out in force to destroy us and this whole world. He hates us and wants God’s purpose for us to fail.

Satan has deceived our society. It has been infiltrated with his character, and he wants us to be just like him. Our attitudes and thoughts are influenced by music, TV shows, the internet and the people around us. We must turn off the static and keep Satan’s attitude out because he is smart and knows how we feel. He will fill our minds with pride and self-centeredness, and he will try to make us hate God’s goodness because he hates it.

The three major obstacles on our trail are Satan, society and self. WOW! No wonder it’s a battle. We cannot go it alone and succeed. It is too overwhelming. We will be lost in an avalanche of deep cold snow. We cannot see the danger ice poses without God until it’s too late and we are in a bad way. He is hoping we answer the door so He can arm us with the gear we need to grip the trail. 

Why walk this treacherous trail? Why push uphill through the deep snow? Because God is right! He started this world to do a fantastic thing, to give us something we cannot imagine. 

God is a giver, and He loves a cheerful giver. Give Him your time and find out that He is real, and His promises are for us. Take the gear and put on the tools He gives us: crampons to grip the hard slippery ice, an ice axe to chop through the rough spots, and above all our anchor and safety rope Jesus Christ. He is our wisdom—follow Him!