I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
— Psalm 32:8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
— Proverbs 3:5-6

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
— John 15:10-11

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.
— 1 John 5:3

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Path of Happiness
By Jennifer Kane

Lead me, Lord, with gentle hand,
To walk the path Your laws command.
In Your ways, my soul finds peace,
Burdens lift, my doubts release.
Each step I take in Your embrace,
I find my joy, my sacred place.
Not in the fleeting, worldly gain,
But in Your truth, my heart remains.
For in Your commands, my spirit sings,
And happiness, like morning, springs.

~~~~~

Scripture: Psalm 32:8, Proverbs 3:5-6, John 15:10-11, 1 John 5:3

God doesn’t just give us a map and send us on our way. He promises His personal, attentive guidance. The “straight and narrow” is not a lonely road; it’s a path we walk hand-in-hand with our Father, who leads with a “gentle hand.”

The world’s happiness is fragile, shattered by the slightest trouble. But the joy found in Christ is a “sacred place” of soul-deep peace. When we walk in His ways, we are walking in His embrace, and there is no safer, more joyful place to be.

God doesn’t ask us to give up “fun”; He invites us to exchange fleeting pleasures for eternal ones. The “worldly gain” can never satisfy the human heart. True, lasting happiness is found only in the eternal truth of God and His presence.

This is the ultimate surprise of the Christian life. We think commands are a killjoy, but Jesus says they are the gateway to His own joy living in us! Obedience is the soil where happiness “springs” up fresh and new every morning, like a faithful sunrise.

~~~~~

Heavenly Father, thank you that the path of life is not a path of misery, but of true happiness. Forgive us for believing the lie that our way is better. Lead us with your gentle hand, as the poem asks. Lift our burdens, quiet our doubts, and anchor our hearts in your truth. May our spirits sing with the joy of your presence today, and may we find our deepest satisfaction in walking the path you have commanded. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

October 17 2025