Who's leading who?

The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands. (Psalm 25:8-10)

If you have ever wandered just a bit too far off path while not paying attention to any of the landmarks around you, you might have been a little 'panic-stricken' when you realized you were unlikely to find your back on your own. It is a lot easier to get lost than it is to find one's way back, isn't it? If you have ever wandered down what you believed to be the correct path, but then realized it was not ending and there was nothing really worth exploring along that way, you likely turned back toward the way you came? Why? In retracing your steps, you hoped to return to what was helpful and familiar to you. There are times in our Christian walk when we get lost down a path that we think promises something for us, but then we realize what we hoped to find was just not there. We turn back because we want to get back to what is familiar. We might think this is repentance, but it is just realizing that we didn't make a very good choice and then finding our way back to where we started.

The one thing we can be assured of is that God will show us both when we have gone down a pretty lame path and when we have returned to the spot where he had wanted us to begin - just down a different path from the one we took. A well-worn path isn't necessarily an indication it is the right path to follow. It just means that there has been a whole lot of 'foot traffic' across that path. Believers don't always get their choice of path correct all of the time, but we can retrace our steps back to where we began, then begin again. If you are like me, you have had many misadventures down a well-trafficked path but found them less than rewarding than you imagined. As I turned around, I usually caught a glimpse of where I 'went wrong'. Then I had to make my way back and begin again. A whole lot of steps in the wrong direction helped me pay attention to getting on the right track once I found my way back. Did I find my way back all alone? No, I think Jesus was walking right there alongside me - even though I was on my 'own path', he didn't abandon me to my own stupidity!

When we finally realize we are on a wrong path - the path that leads to nowhere - are we humble enough to admit it wasn't the correct path to take? Or do we dig in our heels and stubbornly just trod ahead, believing against hope that we will somehow find something of value along that way? God's leading won't contradict a stubborn and rebellious heart, but his presence will stay with that heart until it softens to his voice. At the point when the rebellion begins to be broken, he gives clear direction to return to the beginning of the path. At that point, we find direction to begin again - down the path he leads and not down the one we take the lead on. Just sayin!

A favorable wind

If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable. (Lucius Annaeus Seneca)

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this. (Proverbs 3:5-12)

I have been guilty of 'setting out' before considering the 'destination' - how about you? We might do this more often than we think. It may not be us setting out for a physical destination as much as going places in our minds we should not be going, spending without considering the expense, or even just lollygagging around the house when we know there is stuff we should be doing. Destinations matter - they should not be taken lightly. Trying to figure out 'how' we got somewhere AFTER we are already there is harder than considering the way we are headed BEFORE we set out on the journey. Give God the first and the best - this seems like it should be easy, but what 'first' was the last thing you gave to God? What 'best' was dedicated to him and not to ourself or someone else? Time, talent, finances, and even our thoughts - the best and the first - they belong to him.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart - the journey made with him is better than the journey made without him. The journey 'back to him' simply because we did not consider his direction FIRST is harder than the one we take with him. In school, the firefighters came and taught us what to do when there was a fire in our home. They taught one simple thing that has stuck with me through the decades - stop, drop, and roll. You probably have heard it, said it, and maybe even seen it save a life. One thing - considered for just a moment - made an impression that was enduring. I wonder what God might do in us with just one moment of wisdom we receive at his feet. Could it make a 'life-long impression' in our souls and spirit that would keep us throughout all our decades?

We aren't kept on track by happen-chance. We are kept on track because we considered the direction we should take with our time, talent, finances, and thoughts by ask God's wisdom BEFORE we took on the first leg of our journey - and kept on seeking his direction as the journey progressed. Have you ever had that 'check' in your spirit that makes you a little unsettled with whatever you are doing? That is God, my friend, telling you the destination is compromised, not exactly right for you, or pursued in the wrong timing. We need to heed God's 'little checks' as well as we heed his bigger ones! It could be the thing that keeps us from heading into disaster. Just sayin!

Did I see that before?

Back in the day when I took cruises, there was one man who will stick in mind because of the importance of what he did for all the passengers on board. You may think it was the Captain, since he steered us clear of all kinds of seas which would upset our stomach due to the waves, or kept us on course just by keeping us out of certain currents. The man was a meek, mild mannered individual stationed outside the doors of the buffet each meal. His words were the same: "Washy, washy! Happy, happy!" His mission: All passengers dining within would wash their hands prior to entering. Why? To ensure the journey of all traveling on the ship would be safe, enjoy their trip and avoid the exposure to unwanted food-borne diseases. Now, that is an important job, is it not?

God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool? Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin. These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. (Psalm 19:11-13)

Each day God stands in front of us simply saying: "Washy, Washy!" He knows the "dirt" we acquire as we go through our days - taking in this influence and the next without realizing the potential for damage they cause if allowed to take "hold" of us. He stands there to direct us to the hidden treasures he has prepared for us. The gentleman at the door of the buffet could not tell us where the hidden treasures were that meal, but he prepared us to dine. God prepares us and he brings us to the hidden treasures that await. Our part is to dine.

We get all confused with what to do next because we cannot sort things out quite as well as we'd like to think we can. God cleans the slate - giving us a fresh day to start. Then he keeps us from "stupid sins" we'd like to pick up along the way! Lest we think God doesn't know our folly, he is the one who created us with the ability to choose! He knows we will not always choose wisely, so he prepares a way for us to wash away the grime caused when we have not! This is what we call grace. God keeps us from totally "fouling" our lives for good - providing a means for our protection and our provision.

The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree. (vs. 7-9) The Word of God - pulls us together and makes us whole. His Word is the way to see clearly when circumstances befuddle our minds and cloud our thoughts. It opens us up to clarity quicker than any other source of "wisdom" or "advice". How? Because it is alive and breathing, sharper than any two-edged sword, knowing right were to get at the root of what is bothering us and causing us such turmoil.

His Word points out the right path to take much as a signpost does for the driver of an automobile. In this day and age of GPS to help us travel from one point to another, we find ourselves reliant upon technology instead of the good old foldable maps of days gone by. There was something to be said about studying that map though. The main thing I see with the map versus GPS is the ability to see where we have come from and where we are headed. It gives us perspective. We can clearly see the journey - marked out for us. His Word points out the places of joy along the way. The journey may be riddled with all kinds of difficult places, but interspersed in the journey will be places of joy and healing. God provides "physical" places of joy for us along the way - just as carefully as he prepares the spiritual!

His directions should not be burdensome for us. He may not take us the quickest route, but he takes us by the one that will produce the greatest opportunities for our "intake". His directions are never burdensome, my friends. They bring us to places we need to be and times we need to enjoy. As we close this morning, let us not skip over the insight of "chewing on God's Word all through the day". It is important to mull-over these words again and again, allowing them to sink in deeply, washing over us with freshness each time we do. God's Word never gets old. His signposts are often needed more than once in the journey. Just sayin!