This is a pathway to the beach in Ashdod, Israel. It was a cold and super windy day, which made walking quite interesting. The wind blew so much sand on the path that I had to meander down to the water; and at times, I even had to lean into the wind to keep going.

Yet, I enjoyed every minute of it. The sights and sounds of the waves were quite relaxing.

This pictures the reality of following Jesus. Our daily walks with Him can be on firm ground, which allows us to walk further with less effort/faith.

While on other stretches, we’ll face resistance that requires increased energy/faith and alertness to navigate life’s choices to keep in step with Him.

This is the point of Psalm 23:3. The “paths of righteousness” are more like “circles of righteousness”. As we follow Jesus, despite our ups and downs, fears/failures/challenges, we will still end up righteous. Why? His name is on the line.

If you are on the down side of the cycle; don’t fret. Keep following Jesus. If you are on the upside of the cycle; enjoy the sites and sounds. Keep following Jesus.

In either case, He IS walking with you to make sure you get through the cycle righteous.