Unseen Footprints

I was reading along in Psalm 77 this morning when one of the last scriptures jumped out at me. The scripture is this: "Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen." - Psalm 77:19 In this verse, Asaph is referring to the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. The story of that miracle was handed down from generation to generation, reminding the Israelites of God's power, protection, and love. In the beginning of this psalm, Asaph is crying out to God for courage during a time of deep distress. He was miserable because he had doubted God. In verse 13, he changes from focusing on himself, to focusing on God. As he did, his distress vanished and his faith and strength were renewed.

The part of verse 19 that stood out to me was "though your footprints were not seen." Clearly, the path that the Lord had made for them was the one the Israelites needed to take, however, they had to totally trust the Lord that it was indeed the right path. Can you imagine what they must have been feeling? I'm sure some of them were praying, "God, there must be another way to escape Pharoh than walking through the middle of the sea with a wall of water on either side of us!" But, they knew the Lord was with them and they took the path. Because they did, they were saved and Pharoh's entire army was drowned.

Sometimes God presents you with the path you should take, but it seems almost too terrifying to do it. You know it's the right path, but there are no footprints to follow. Sometimes, you are presented with more than one path, and you are having a hard time choosing which one because there are no footprints to follow. Sometimes, you are on one path, but the Holy Spirit says to take the other path instead. You doubt, or you question His voice because there are no footprints to follow. The Lord will not always give us a clear answer regarding which path we should take. However, I do know that you will have peace when you choose the right one. You will see blessing, you will see favor, you will see answers to your prayers. I'm not saying that you won't ever see hardships, suffer loss, have health issues, or whatever the case may be. Even if we are on the right path we are not in control of what happens around us every day. But, even when there are no visible footprints to follow, Jesus promises us that he is with us wherever we go.

Joshua 1:8 says, "Do not let this Book of the Law (the Bible) depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

We can be encouraged knowing that even if we've taken the wrong path, God is still with us. He said "wherever you go." That's pretty clear. That means right path, or wrong path, He is with us. If we are reading the Word and listening to His voice, then he will direct our paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." He will guide us and protect us, even if we've gotten off the path he originally intended us to be on. He will guide us back to the right path. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." God's word is what is going to keep us in check and keep us on the right path. There's a reason why God told Joshua to meditate on the Word day and night. If we don't keep the Word in us, our path will get darker and darker until we're not sure where we are anymore. He promises us that his Word will be a light to our path. He will never fail you or lead you down the wrong path. His path leads to blessing and purpose.

So, if you are worried about taking the path God has called you to because there are no footprints to follow, just remember that Jesus is with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Just obey, and step onto the path. Let the Lord lead you and you will be just fine. I will leave you with these scriptures: "If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." - Psalm 91:9-12