Does the pathway before you seem rocky and uneven? Are there obstacles littering your way, making it hard for you to make progress? Does it all feel like an uphill battle?
The path of life regularly gets cluttered with obstructions and uphill climbs. Jesus knows all about these circumstances. Sometimes He helps by removing the obstacles. Other times, He smooths out the path, responding to our longing for level ground.
A Smoother Path
Dick’s comments: Recently, Cindi read me a selection from the classic devotional, Daily Strength for Daily Needs: the February 8 entry by H.E. Manning: “He [God] will guide us in a sure path, though it be a rough one: though shadows hang upon it, yet He will be with us. He will bring us home at last.” Clearly, the path is not always smooth; but the Lord is faithful to stay with us through it all—and to bring us to Himself.
On the same day she read that excerpt to me, I was trying to locate a passage a friend had shared with Cindi and me the week before. I thought it was Psalm 144, but as I searched through this psalm I realized it wasn’t the passage the quotes were from. (I was about 60 psalms beyond the place where the verses actually appear in Psalm 84.)
However, thanks to the grace of God, by looking in the wrong place, I ended up in the right place. My eyes fell upon a phrase I had never before noticed: “level ground.” In verse 9 and 10 of Psalm 143 (NIV), David utters a touching prayer while he is in the midst of adversity: “Rescue me from my enemies, LORD, for I hide myself in You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”
The Great Leveler
Philip’s comments: Often, when we face the kind of adversity David describes, it feels as if we are trying to walk during an earthquake. The ground keeps shifting and buckling beneath our feet, making it hard to maintain solid footing. Added to that, our enemy is always trying to trip us up. We read these words in Psalm 118:13: “You pushed me violently, that I might fall, but the LORD helped me.” Even when the devil attempts to make us stumble, we can rely upon the Holy Spirit to lead us on level ground.
Our eternal God is the Great Leveler. We realize this when we read His promises in Isaiah 40:4: “Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth.” The Lord promises to be with us as we move forward in Him. He elevates the low places, pushes down the high places, and straightens the pathway—leveling the ground before us and around us.
The next verse in Isaiah shows the reason for the Lord’s leveling efforts: “The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” Yes, we grow through the adversities we face, and that is good. But God’s main plan is to reveal His glory to us and those around us. For that to happen, He makes sure there is level ground.
The Path You Are Treading
Philip and Dick together: Has your pathway been especially rough? Has David’s prayer for level ground ignited a spark of hope within you? Do you share his petition— that the good and gentle Holy Spirit will smooth out and straighten your path?
We want to encourage you today with a profound truth. The Lord has heard your cry, and He is sending His good Spirit to answer your longing for level ground.
Although we don’t know exactly what you are facing, both of us could share personal testimonies of how the Lord intervened in our lives. In those many times when we were on rocky, uneven paths, Jesus responded to our fervent cries for level ground.
Upheld by God’s Hand
Not only does the Lord help us to find solid footing. As Derek Prince points out in his excellent radio series, “Endurance,” the Lord stays with us—even when we stumble.
Step number 3 is: Don’t give up—even if you fall. You may say, “I don’t want to fall.” Well, that’s good. I don’t want to fall either. But I tell you, most Christians do fall one way or another sometime in the course of their Christian life.
There are those who have made it without ever falling. I can’t really say I’m one of them. But I can tell you this: when I did fall, I did not give up. I knew there was nothing to go back to, for one thing. So, face the possibility that you may have some kind of a fall. But make up your mind that even if you fall, you’re not going to give up….
There are quite a number of Scriptures about not giving up when you fall. Let me give you just one or two of them. Psalm 37, verses 23 and 24 (NIV): “The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand.” We see a distinction there between stumbling and falling. If you are a man [or woman] whose steps the Lord has made firm, you may stumble—and if you were left to yourself, you would fall. But the Lord is holding on to your hand. So, as you’re just about to fall, that strong hand of the Lord lifts you up and sets you on your feet again.
Now, this is speaking about a person whose ways delight the Lord, so it’s not about a failure. It’s not about a backslider. It’s not about someone deserving of contempt. If we stumble, God has made provision. He says, “If you stumble, you won’t fall; I’ll hold you up.” Don’t rely on yourself. Rely on the Lord.
Asking for His Intervention
As you recognize how much the Lord cares for you, are you ready to take your situation to Him? Jesus knows about the adversities we face, and He always responds to our cry for help. Let’s take this moment to open our hearts to Him, asking for His grace.
Lord Jesus, You know the kind of pathway I have been facing over the last few months. You know all about the boulders, the blockades, the rock faces, and the downhill slopes I have had to handle on this journey. They are no surprise to You.
I come to You now with the same words David used in Psalm 143:9–10: “Rescue me from my enemies, LORD, for I hide myself in You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”
I place myself in Your care as I travel this rocky path. I trust You to adjust it however You feel is best, and I give You thanks in advance for Your help. Amen.
In His Grip
Most times, the best (and only) solution is to place ourselves totally in the Lord’s hands, allowing Him to work out our situations as only He can. That is exactly what we have just done through the prayer we offered together.
All of us at Derek Prince Ministries are standing with you in the step you have taken. Two ways you can stay active in your progress are by staying consistent in your study of the Word and by listening to godly teaching. That’s where we come in. A good place to begin in this latter category would be the full message from which we drew Derek Prince’s quote: “Endurance.” This radio series is yours — provided free of charge (just use the download link below) along with our blessings and our prayers for your ongoing progress!
One of the greatest joys of working at DPM-USA is being in touch with you and supplying you with materials to encourage you in your relationship with Jesus Christ. The messages we provide from Derek’s amazing archive of teaching are simply one way for us to express our profound thanks for your prayers and your financial gifts.
His Promise of Help
Let’s end this letter with an amazing promise from the Word of God. It is a passage from Isaiah 35 that refers to the Highway of Holiness—the pathway that all of us who love Jesus are traveling. Here is the promise in verse 4: “He will come and save you.”
It is clear from this portion of Isaiah 35 that we have a role to play in the fulfillment of God’s promise. In many respects, it requires some “heavy lifting” and action on our part. We have to take steps to demonstrate our obedience, and to encourage others.
Verses 3 and 4 say, “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble [tottering or stumbling] knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense [divine retribution] of God. He will come and save you.’”
Do you believe this? Despite all the boulders and uneven terrain you face on the pathway you tread, His promise is true. He will come and save you. He has heard your cry from your rocky path—and He will send His good Spirit to lead you on level ground.
Sincerely in Christ,
Philip Wyns
President, DPM-USA
All the best,
Dick Leggatt
Executive Consultant/Senior Editor
