Reflections: Stick to the path, or get burned

While on vacation recently, I’ve tried to stay connected with my Bible study community and keep up on daily readings. The current study focuses on choices faced by Israel, warnings from God given by several prophets, and consequences if the nation did not heed those warnings. And in keeping with Paul’s writing to Timothy that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable . . .” (2 Tim. 3:16), Christians today can learn much from those warnings and consequences. 

As often happens, God allowed timing and circumstances to reinforce the lesson. At Yellowstone National Park, we visited the Old Faithful geyser, which was right on schedule, and then trekked through the Geyser Basin area where we saw a couple more geyser eruptions. In addition to active geysers, there is significant other geothermal activity in the area—numerous springs and pools bubbling and giving off huge amounts of steam. 

Every few feet along the path, signs warn visitors to stay on the boardwalks due to the fragility of the ground’s crust. That crust looks deceptively like any other soil or rock surface; but pictures and graphics, prepared by people who have studied a lot more geology than I have, show the crust is a thin layer with those hot pools underneath. 

Some of the warning signs reference unfortunate incidents of people or pets leaving the walkways and crashing through into steaming water, hot enough to instantly burn through clothing and even hiking boots. Even the walkways, constructed by drilling down to a more stable foundation, must be carefully inspected and maintained by trained experts due to the intense heat. 

Given that knowledge, why would anyone want to leave the path? Well, for some people, the temptation is to get just the right lighting or angle for a photo of the dramatic steam; and it’s actually kind of pretty out there, some flowering plants having adapted to the thin soil and some beautiful butterflies and dragonflies checking out the nectar situation. 

I couldn’t help comparing the situation to the temptations that surrounded Israel during the time of the prophets, and even more so, to the many temptations surrounding us today. What could be wrong with veering slightly off the path, maybe to indulge in some occasional less than wholesome entertainment as long as we don’t make a habit of it? What about that relationship that we don’t feel quite right about but hope will get better? That choice to abuse alcohol to escape stress, or to overspend a budget category to indulge a “want”?

Walking through the geyser basin was obviously exciting due to the possibility of an eruption, with still more beauty to be seen beyond the thermal area—fields of high-elevation wildflowers; agile mountain goats; and magnificent peaks. As we walk through the path of life, we can appreciate such beauty as we “lift up [our] eyes to the mountains” (Psalm 121:1). 

But Scripture also contains many admonitions about staying on the right paths, turning away from things that may seem attractive and exciting but can lead to danger. Proverbs 4:26-27 tells us, “Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.” Much of the first chapter of Proverbs deals with choosing friends wisely and avoiding those who are bad influences: “. . . Do not walk the road with them, or set foot upon their path” (v.15). 

Like those pretty flowers or the desire to get just a little closer for the photo, temptation can happen to all of us, but the Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians church, and us, that we don’t have to succumb to it. Jesus set the example during his earthly ministry as He was tempted by Satan but stayed true to purpose. And because of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us away from wrong choices, toward a heavenly goal and the promise of a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13), if we stick to the path.