A Walk In The Woods

“I’ll meet you there. I’m gonna take a short cut.”

In hindsight, it was a bad idea. But to the average nineteen-year-old male brain, bad ideas are the norm, aren’t they? 

Mid-summer after my first year of college found me on a remote logging road carved into the side of a mountain. Thick forest, rocky crags, and glacial streams surrounded us. We were treeplanters, employed by the forestry industry, tasked with reforesting the vast swaths of clearcut wilderness. The plot of land Andrew and I were assigned to went straight up the steep hillside, which was covered with stumps, branches, bushes, boulders, and all manner of debris from the recent logging operation. Every step was a chore. Sometimes a discarded trunk allowed us to walk a short distance over the chaos, but most times we had to climb over, under, and through the thick slash to get anywhere. The fertile soil could be ten feet below us, necessitating an awkward climb down into the shadows to deposit a sapling before grappling back up top. 

Halfway through the day, we’d filled our bellies with lunch back at the gravel road, replenished our bags with bundles of young spruce, and were ready for another afternoon of grueling labor. Looking up the hillside, we both dreaded the hike to our plot, which curved around the hillside to the right. There’s gotta be an easier way, I thought. Andrew was a thick-limbed farm boy, not particularly nimble given his stocky size. I was a skinny teenager, able to navigate the treacherous hillside with a bit more dexterity. 

“Come on, Andrew. Let’s just cut up that steep slope through the trees so we don’t have to walk all the way around.”

“Uh, I don’t think so, man. I think I’ll stick to the safe way.”

“Safe?! Come one, how bad could it be?”

Pretty bad, it turned out. Andrew plodded slowly through the cutblock – the long way – while I ventured toward my brilliant shortcut. However, fifty yards into the thick forest, I soon realized why this part of the mountain hadn’t been logged. The trees were hiding a fifty foot granite cliff, covered with rotten blowdown and dense foliage. The centuries of weather and vegetation had gradually split the rock face into pillars of stone.Such a cliff face would make mountain goats think twice. Only a fool with a death wish would attempt such a climb. Or, you know, a nineteen-year-old male without the sense to admit he was wrong. 

I approached the base and looked up at the vertical slab. Patches of moss struggled to grip the narrow ledges. A large crack in the granite had nearly swallowed an old cedar – it was completely upside down, having fallen from the ridge above and plunged itself into the rocky ground with its bare rootwad stretching skyward. Wedging myself into the crack, with arms pressed outward against the stone, I shimmied upward, using my feet to push against anything that would hold me. The old cedar had spindly branches that broke off as I stepped on them. Clumps of dirt and foliage fell away from handholds as I wedged my dirty fingers into them. Grunting and sweating, I hauled myself upward as dislodged debris dropped away beneath me. The bags of saplings on my hips felt heavier the higher I climbed. Sharp rocks and branches bloodied by exposed skin; knees and elbows were bruised from the rigid edges I struggled along. My planting shovel nearly slipped from my grip, which would have made the whole ordeal entirely pointless. Barely halfway up, I came to my senses. What the heck am I doing here?! A quick glance down made me curse my stupidity and wonder how long it would take to locate my corpse if any of my footholds failed. I was thoroughly regretting not hiking with Andrew the long way around. 

It’s times like these – in trouble, panic building – that a few words of prayer can work wonders. Not sure what desperate pleas I muttered to the Lord that day, but he evidently heard my cry. A Bible verse popped into my head:

He makes me as surefooted as a deer. (Ps 18:33, NLT). 

I wasn’t convinced that any deer, mountain goat, or ibex in its right mind would pick this route, but those blessed words rattled around in my head, my anxiety gradually subsided. Halfway up a treacherous cliff, I had peace. My situation hadn’t improved, but my outlook had. 

It was just as dangerous to climb down, so I pressed onward. The crack in the cliff face was too wide to ascend anymore, so I transferred my weight onto the inverted cedar, which creaked and swayed with each movement. He makes me as surefooted as a deer. It felt like angels were guiding me to my destination.

Finally, I reached a hand over the top of the ridge and threw my shovel over before hauling myself and my coniferous cargo onto the slope above. I sprawled out on the ground, exhausted. Andrew had been planting his bags for twenty minutes by the time I arrived. He stood above me with a smirk on his face.

“Well, how was your walk in the woods?” 

SURE FOOTING

Israel’s King David had plenty of experience climbing the peaks of ancient Palestine while fleeing for his life – he would have had similar fears as he clung to mountainsides or hid in caves (1 Sam 23-24). He also knew how his life hung in the balance during fierce battles (2 Sam 21:15-17). His best friend, Jonathan, would have felt the same way as he scaled the twin cliffs, Bozez and Seneh, before taking on an army (1 Sam 14). They both would have experienced the unexplainable peace of the Lord in the midst of danger, both on cliffs and in battle. 

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. (Ps 91:7, NIV)

In the Bible, there’s a subtle connection between peace and footing. Here’s the expanded version of the passage that reassured me on the cliff:

For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?... He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights… You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. (Ps 18:31-36, ESV)

Elsewhere, we see that adherence to God’s laws ensures our footing.

Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. (Ps 119:165, ESV)

God is called our Rock precisely because we are able to stand on him securely. Peace is the natural consequence.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. (Is 26:3-4, NIV)

Danger, calamity, trials, difficulty – these inevitably come to us all, but Christ is able to hold us securely because of his death on the cross.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (Jn 16:33, NIV)

Such peace can be a source of great strength for us.

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. (Ps 29:11, NIV)

Sometimes a little peace will give us the clarity of mind and renewal of purpose to carry on in the face of uncertainty.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7, NKJV)

Furthermore, we see this peace-footing connection with respect to expanding the kingdom of God. 

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace. (Is 52:7, NIV)

And, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. (Eph 6:15, ESV)

The message of Christ – the gospel – is one of peace. The treacherous heights we tread need not worry us, because our God has formed them all by his hands and holds us tightly. Even forces that would destroy us are kept underfoot.

If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.” (Ps 91:9-14, NLT)

Peace isn’t tranquility. It’s not serenity or calm. The essence of biblical peace is firm footing in Christ, which reveals itself in the most calamitous times. It permeates the believer when he walks in step with the Spirit. Worldly danger simply doesn't rattle him like it should. Our mountainous problems – even whether we’ll survive another foolish plan of our own making – don’t seem so big next to the Lord. 

SUMMARY

Just because we have divine peace doesn’t mean we’re not afraid. Indeed, fear of death, injury, harm to loved ones, loss, embarrassment, failure, and any number of adverse outcomes is still very real. We’re not numb or immune to our emotions. However, beneath it all is a quiet confidence that God is in control. 

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. (Ps 95:3-4, NIV)

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ (Is 41:10, NKJV)

No matter what treacherous crags we find ourselves on, God is able to keep our footing secure when we reach out to him. Conversely, all worldly sources of peace are entirely unreliable. Billy Graham said it like this:

The world doesn’t give peace, for it doesn’t have any peace to give. It fights for peace, it negotiates for peace, it maneuvers for peace, but there is no ultimate peace in the world. (1)

Thus, if we’re overwhelmed, frightened, and anxious, perhaps we should evaluate what we’re truly standing on. 

Peace has a name. It’s Jesus. Sometimes we think if our circumstances would just change (like getting off the mountain ledge we’re stuck on), we’d be safe and secure, but this simply isn’t true. The only way to have lasting peace is to walk with Jesus.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. (2 Thes 3:16, NKJV)

By God's grace, I walked away from various sketchy situations unscathed, but one day that may not be the case. And yet, whether we live or die, the Lord holds us securely in his hands. He safeguards our eternal security – citizenship in heaven – which nothing in this world can steal away.

© D. B. Ryen Incorporated, May 2026.

Quotes:

1. Graham, Billy (author), Joan Winmill Brown (editor). Day By Day with Billy Graham. World Wide Publications, 1976. July 6 entry.

Scripture quotations are Bibles as noted:

ESV – The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway, 2001.

NASB – Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

NIV – The Holy Bible, New International Version. Biblica, Inc. 1973.

NKJV – The Holy Bible: The New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, 1982.

NLT – Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.