Daily Thought for Tuesday 5th May 2026
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.”
Proverbs 3: 5-6
Drawn back
Douglas Hamilton
On a recent group pilgrimage we took time after lunch to walk in silence for a while. We were encouraged to notice our steps and pay attention to where we were placing our feet. As I looked down at my feet I began to wonder about the path I was on and the fact that someone had already been there and created this path for us. On both my left and my right were trees, undergrowth, hazards and uneven terrain. However, I didn’t need to worry about any of that as I was on a path that provided a route to my destination and also made the walk a lot easier.
As I sought to listen to what God was saying to me, I heard an inner voice questioning why I spent so much time in my life feeling as if I had to keep making my own way or having to find a new way to do things. I remembered the frustration and exhaustion I felt when I was battling my way through so much of life and ministry. My attention was then drawn back to the path, with an invitation to go the way that had already been prepared. It was a way that many people had walked before, and they found it to be a good path. Was there any reason to think that I could come up with a better route?
Why do I sometimes feel that everything rests on me and my efforts? We don’t need to figure everything out on our own. God invites us to listen for his voice, to trust in him and be dependent on him. Our paths will be made straight if we do that. The walk of life can be much easier and more enjoyable if we stick to that path.
Shall we pray?
Father God, thank you that you have already prepared the path for me. Help me not to wander off in my own direction but to trust more in you. Amen.
Douglas Hamilton is minister of Traprain. He serves as vice convener of the Church of Scotland’s social care agency, CrossReach.