On our journey as pilgrims on the path of glory, we know how easy it is to fall away. Think of it as your personal, daily restoration. It is a sacred time when we remember our solemn covenants to follow the gentle Christ, when we assess our progress and align ourselves with the spiritual landmarks God has provided for His children. It is a garden of reflection where we can walk with the Lord and be instructed, edified, and purified by the written and Spirit-revealed word of our Heavenly Father. This time of introspection is an opportunity for recalibration. If we have drifted, we plead with God to restore us, and we commit to do better. We can ponder our actions and review the moments of our day-considering our will and desires in light of His. Each day, we can approach the throne of God in humility and honesty. Surely they include daily prayer and pondering the scriptures and using inspired tools like Come, Follow Me. Unlike the wandering test subjects, we have reliable, visible landmarks that we can use to evaluate our course. That has been the pattern from the days of Adam until now.
No matter how strong our spiritual experiences have been in the past, as human beings we tend to wander. Sometimes it happens in a matter of years or even months. Sometimes this falling away takes generations. And, of course, it did not take long before they paid the price for that behavior. The book of Judges records that after Joshua died, “there arose another generation … which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.” 7ĭespite the astonishing heavenly interventions, visitations, rescues, and miraculous victories the children of Israel witnessed during the lifetimes of Moses and Joshua, within a generation the people had abandoned the Way and began walking according to their own desires. It is also true for societies and nations. But the fact is that without the help of landmarks to guide us, we inevitably deviate off course and end up in places we never thought we would be. We may even have high confidence that we are walking a straight line. Like the participants in the Max Planck study, we may not realize when we veer off course. Most of the changes in our spiritual lives-both positive and negative-happen gradually, a step at a time. Fail to pay attention to these factors and you may end up having a bad day. Wind, road irregularities, imperfect wheel alignment, inattentiveness-not to mention the actions of other drivers-all can push you off your intended path. You might have a similar experience when driving a vehicle. Every time I started the approach to an airport, I knew that much of my remaining work would consist of making constant minor course corrections to safely direct the aircraft to our desired landing runway. I know this from personal experience as a pilot. Isn’t it interesting how small, seemingly insignificant factors can make a major difference in our lives? Whatever the cause, it is human nature: without reliable landmarks, we drift off course. “More likely,” however, we struggle to walk straight ahead “ of increasing uncertainty about where straight ahead is.” 5 Others have pointed to the fact that we all have one leg that is slightly stronger than the other. Why do we do have such a hard time walking in a straight line? Some researchers hypothesize that small, seemingly insignificant deviations in terrain make the difference. Despite their high confidence, GPS data showed that they walked in loops as tight as 20 meters in diameter. The scientists concluded, “People really walk in circles when they do not have reliable cues to their walking direction.” 4 When questioned afterwards, some participants self-confidently claimed that they had not deviated in the slightest. The test subjects had to rely solely on their sense of direction. They took participants to a thick forest and gave them simple instructions: “Walk in a straight line.” There were no visible landmarks. Not long ago, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics tested that theory. There is an oft-repeated theory that people who are lost walk in circles.
We consider it an honor to walk with you in the Master’s strait and narrow path of discipleship. We invite all to come, hear the word of God, and partake of His goodness! I bear my personal witness that God is among us and that He will surely draw near to all who draw near to Him. Jesus Christ lives! He is the Son of the living God, and He directs prophets on the earth in our day. We hope you can feel the sincerity of our testimony.