The Impossible Hike

A couple of years ago, my family went on a vacation to Colorado, to see the Rocky Mountains. It was beautiful! One day, as we went for a one-mile hike near a lake, we discovered that there was another trail that forked off of ours, climbing, zig-zagging, up one of those great Rockys. Foolishly, we took that hike, not knowing how long it would be. In a very short amount of time, we ran out of water. But still we hiked on, and on, and on, until my 4 siblings and I could take it no longer. We had to stop. So, we stopped to rest, and eat a little of the Beef Jerky in our backpacks. But when it was declared time to move on, we refused. We quit. We hiked all the way back down to the bottom, stumbling wearily most of the way. From the bottom, it was one mile more to the car. When we heard it, we could've cried. And, actually, some of us kids, (including me) did. That hike introduced us to pain that none of us had ever experienced before - and never want to know again. It got tough, and so we quit, even before we had reached the snow.
Everyday, many people try to climb the outrageous heights of perfection. And, everyday, most of those people quit. They decide that they just can't do it. And their right!
They can't do it on their own.
Fortunately, God knows that they can't, and provides a way, a path, a trail, to perfection. He writes the law. But still many of us fall - and quit.
And so God provides a GPS - the many prophets of the Old Testament, yelling at you when you take a wrong turn. But people are too stubborn to listen to these gadgets.
Do you see a pattern here? God provides, but even then we fall short. We can't make it.
The only One who can get us all the way there, is God. And so He does. Jesus Christ, the son of the Creator, lays himself down, and paves a path. He guides us when the path gets rough. He's our walking stick to lean on when we can't go one more step. He's the light in the darkness. He's the living water that revives us when we fall. He's the strong arms that lift you when you do fall, and carry you the rest of the way. The rest of the way, to perfection. To Heaven. To Eternal Life.
Why, then, are there still so many at the bottom? There's everything you need right here, right in front of you. Will you not accept it? Will you not give up trying to do it on your own, and take the outstretched hand of God? What more could you want? Is it your pride holding you back? God says, Pride comes before a fall. Is it your shame? "All have fallen short of the Glory of God." Not just you! All of us.
Accept God's guide, and stop trying to write your own map. Give God your trust, your faith, your heart. And lean on him. He'll carry you all the way. All the way up the Impossible Trail.