The Thorny Path

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God - to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

From the Hymn: Be Still My Sou,: Text: Katharina von Schlegel, 1752; trans. by Jane Borthwick, 1855

In deed there may be many thorns along our path; thorns of death, sickness, loss, unfairness, and cruelty. As we walk along the path of our life these thorns will tear at us, pull parts of us away, and cut us deeply. The good news is that if we have a great love for Christ and know him in our lives, then our faith will hold on to the best parts of ourselves. This means the thorns will only be able to tear away those things which are holding us back from a deeper relationship with God. The thorns, therefore, will force us to let go of things like vanity, selfishness, and pride; those parts of ourselves that keep us spiritually in this world. If we are faithful then, if we allow the barbs to deepen our appreciation for God’s presence in our lives, then we will surely immerge from the thorny path a person who has been truly transformed into an image of holiness and godly love.