Job 23:11, 12 
“But he knows the way that I take; 
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. 
My feet have closely followed his steps; 
I have kept to his way without turning aside. 
I have not departed from the commands of his lips; 
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” (NIV)

“But he knows where I am and what I’ve done. 
He can cross-examine me all he wants, and I’ll pass the test with honors. 
I’ve followed him closely, my feet in his footprints, 
not once swerving from his way. 
I’ve obeyed every word he’s spoken, 
and not just obeyed his advice—I’ve _treasured_ it.” (MSG)

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A good coaching practice is to fast-forward toward the end result a person wants and then help them plot the path to get there. A good question to ask is, “What will your life be like when you get where you’re going?” This includes:
– how old you will be
– how old your family members will be
– what work you will do
– where you will live

Here’s what I want for myself, my family, and for those closest to me: I want to be able to say what Job said in the verses above. I want to be able to say, with the emphasis The Message places upon the word treasured.

I want to follow so closely after God that my feet walk in his footprints. 

I want to look back on my path and see that I have not swerved to the right or to the left. 

I want to have the kind of relationship with God that whatever He says, I do because it is the most joyful and meaningful thing I can do. 

I want to treasure everything he says, knowing that it is right, just, fair, kind, and compassionate. He will always lead me in the right way at the right speed. We will always be right on time. 

This will necessarily put me out of sync with some others. That’s okay. Our Father in heaven has a perfect plan for them as well. Sometimes our paths parallel. Sometimes they intersect. Sometimes it seems like we’re on completely different paths and completely different journeys. 

Ollie the Border Collie is staring at me from the photo cube my bride made for me shortly after he died. His tennis ball is in his mouth. He is waiting in eager anticipation and constant expectation for the work he does, which is also play. Since he passed, I’ve been walking a new path for exercise. The new steps lead up a hillside and down again before connecting with the path we two walked so many times together, and yet too few.

Life is like that, isn’t it? 

That new path is good and challenging. The old path this week included a bobcat who ran out in front of me before returning to the bush she was hiding under. I apparently interrupted her stalking. She gave me a not-so-friendly side-eye as I passed. 

I returned on that same path a few minutes later, and she was still sitting there waiting patiently for the return of the squirrel I had frightened away. We acknowledged one another once more. I wonder how that encounter would have gone if Ollie the Border Collie had been leading the way? 

Of course, our last few walks together kept us about a hundred yards short of the bush where the bobcat was hiding. He would turn his head, with sadness in his eyes, and indicate that we needed to start back home. He had gone as far as he could go that day. 

Things change, even when they remain remarkably the same. Sometimes the things that change are the paths, and sometimes the things that change are the persons. Sometimes it’s both. 

What do you want to be able to say when you reach the goal of the path you’re on? 

If you’re not really clear on how far in the distance to think about, are not really clear on what path to take, and are not really clear on what it’ll look like when you get there, there are people like me who help with that sort of thing. You might consider talking to someone who could help you gain the clarity you seek. I invite you to at least give deep and considerate thought to what Job says here. This is great wisdom, regardless of who you are, where you are, and where you’re bound. 

Job’s declaration is a great summary of how to walk the path before you. You never go wrong when you go with God. Job, in his misery, laid out the kind of expectation we should be fully assured of even on our most miserable days. He said, “when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

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I will walk with God, placing my feet in his footprints, not swerving from his way, and treasuring everything he says. 

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Our Father, direct my steps. Show me the way I should go. Give me ears to hear what you’re saying. Give me a willing and obedient heart to follow your instruction and to do what you say. My highest treasure is knowing and experiencing you all along the way, each and every day. I am fully confident that when we get to the end of my path, you will have taken this lump of clay and turned it into gold. Amen.