A Path Forward

“He shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate.” — Ezekiel 46:9b

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
—Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken (1916) 
Full Poem

In his poem “The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost provides us with the poetic anthem of individualism. One of the most quoted stanzas from a poem in history. Complete with posters, calendars, screen savers and more to challenge us not to follow the path of the crowd, but choose the path less travelled. The only problem is that’s not what the poem says in context.

The poem was written to Frost’s English friend Edward Thomas. Frost stayed in England for a time and would regularly walk in the woods with Thomas. When they came to forks in the trail, they would debate which way they should take. Inevitably, no matter what path they took, Thomas would bemoan they should have taken the other path. It undoubtedly would have been more beautiful and exciting.

Frost wrote the poem to poke fun at his friend. In reality, neither path in the poem is any better than the other. Frost takes the juxtaposition of his friend in the conclusion of the poem by saying, “I shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages hence: / Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.” Frost in his “sigh” acknowledges the mourning of lost knowledge at what lies down the other path, but then turns his friend’s approach on its head and justifies the path he has taken.

The poem is not about individuality. It is about how we reflect on our path. Do we regret the paths we didn’t take? Or do we justify the paths we do? And, have we ever even considered the path we are on?

In Ezekiel chapters 40-48, the prophet is provided a vision of God’s ideal temple. Interpreted in many ways, it is to me symbolic of the spiritual temple that Christ established as the church. In Ezekiel 46, the vision deals with the manner in which followers should worship God. In verse 9 it reads, “But when the people of the land come before the Lord…He shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate.”

In other words, something is supposed to change when you come into the presence of the Lord. You are not to return to your same old path. You have a new path going forward.

Several times in the Bible, people are told not to return by the path they came. In Matthew 2:12 the Magi (Wise Men) were divinely warned in a dream not to return the same way, but to go home another way. In 1 Kings 13:17, the old prophet is told to deliver his message, but don’t commune with the people, “nor return by going the way you came.”

What is consistent about all these verses is God’s Word should create change. We can’t grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and continue walking the way we always walked. Grace should change you. It should overwhelm you. It should open the gate to a path forward in Christ. If it doesn’t, you don’t understand grace. You don’t understand life in Christ.

However, don’t succumb to the temptation of becoming path inspectors. We often want to look at the path someone has traversed to measure their faith. We equally want to evaluate our own path for the same reason. The end result of this effort is to become the joke in Frost’s poem that justifies the path we’ve taken or bemoans the path not taken like his friend Thomas. The path is irrelevant. It is a relationship with Christ that creates change. And everyday there is a path forward. You can’t go back. You can only go forward.

Again, the path is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is the next step. “Your word is a lamp to my feet / And a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) Notice the path is not what makes the difference. It is the light. It is meeting God in His Word that changes us. It is when His Word is lived out through our life our path is changed.

What is God’s direction for your life? You can’t go back. Don’t bemoan the paths you’ve missed. Don’t justify the ones you’ve taken. Whatever path you are on today, stop and come into the presence of the Lord. Let His word be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. Allow Him to live through your life. Then, go forward! Trust the Lord to guide your steps. The path doesn’t make a difference unless we get stuck returning to the paths of our past.

Don’t go back the way you came. Move forward. The Lord is the Light. And He will light the path forward if we will trust Him.

© 2026 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.