Bruce Trail Youth Devotional

A series of short devotionals given on an 11 km June youth outing on the Bruce Trail.

Lesson 1- Start
Welcome to the Bruce Trail! It is 933 km long. It goes all the way to the right to the Niagara River at Queenston Heights and all the way to the left to Tobermory at the tip of the Bruce Penninsula. It is Canada’s longest hiking trail; but don’t worry, we’re only going to walk 11 km.

The Bible is full of the imagery of paths, trails, roads and races (c.f. Ps 119:105, Jn 14:6).

Today as we journey we’re going to pause to talk about Entering, Staying On and Finishing God’s Path.

Just like starting the trail, one has to personally enter onto God’s path. It is not enough to be from a Christian family. We must, each one, turn and trust in Jesus to become a Christian, enter the path and begin to follow Jesus.

At each stop a youth will read a short passage and then we’ll answer some simple questions as a group.

A youth reads: Matt 7:13-14
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Questions: What is this passage saying, what do we need to know to be able to understand it better, what is it saying about God, us, and what is it asking us to do?

If you’ve already enter, praise the Lord for His salvation as you walk. If you’ve not enter, don’t think about anything else, as nothing more than this is so important.

Lesson 2- Middle
You have to be careful walking the Bruce Trail. There are lots of cliffs, roots, poison ivy, turns where you may get lost. You must follow the white blazes!

The same is true along God’s path. There are many trials and temptation in which Satan would slow us down or lead us astray. However, if we’d grow and become like Jesus we must continue to trust God’s word and walk in His ways.

A youth reads: Dt 5:32-33
“You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.”

Questions: What is this passage saying, what do we need to know to be able to understand it better, what is it saying about God, us, and what is it asking us to do?

Are we trusting the Lord and following His Word? Where may we need to turn back in our life? Let’s think about His way as we press on.

Lesson 3- Near the end
Almost 11 km is a lot of work!

So is life and following Jesus. It requires perseverance (thankfully something God provides for His children by His grace so that we persevere to the end).

Sometimes the Bible speaks about following Jesus as a path but sometimes as a race.

Anyone guess the world record for running the Bruce Trail? (A- 8 days, 17 hours). Only the one who perseveres and completes the race get’s the price of salvation.

A youth reads: 1 Cor 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Questions: What is this passage saying, what do we need to know to be able to understand it better, what is it saying about God, us, and what is it asking us to do?

So let us not give up, let’s fix our eyes upon Jesus, ask for His help, and continue to follow him; persevering to the end to win the prize!