The Way
I have been doing a lot of driving lately due to various engagements. Before each trip I carefully google map each turn and exit so I know the way when I am driving. (I am not so advanced as to have GPS). This mapping out of the trip route provides me exactly the directions I need so I do not lose my way. Even though I map out my trip, I have still made wrong turns. Once I read the map incorrectly, other times I forgot details or did not account for construction and reroutes. Most often, however, getting lost has been due to me not paying attention to where I was going and the road signs around me. This was due to several factors including distractions such as a phone call or someone in the car vying for my attention. Other times it was because I was so confident about the route that I got careless and made an error.
More recently I was driving from central Ohio to Kentucky on the long North/South Route 71. Everyone knows that from Ohio the way to get to Kentucky is South on 71 but I was thinking about the good time I had had that week and still waking up from last night's sleep and accidentally took 71 North towards Cleveland. The signs all along the road were showing me that I was going the wrong direction: Medina, Brecksville, Maple Heights. Oh, but I was having one of my morning talks with God and carrying on and not minding the road! Finally in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville there was an entire hillside devoted to landscaping the name STRONGSVILLE in large letters so it was nearly impossible to miss. At this point my mind jolted into reality and I realized that I was going the wrong way. In fact, I had been going the wrong way for some time, but I did not see the warning signs. It took me a few minutes to find a suitable exit to reroute my trajectory and head back the correct way. It made me lose time, gain mileage and lose money in gas. This was not my idea of a good time, but it could have all been avoided had I been paying attention to the way.
Some lose their way because they are not following the primary road map for life, the Bible or the unction of His GPS voice, the Holy Spirit, which SHOWS THE WAY. They turn off into a dead-end and never get back to the highway of holiness leading to eternal life. To repent means to turn around, change your mind and go a different direction. There are many who have been warned that they are going the wrong way but because all their friends are with them or they think their way is better than God's they refuse to turn around. They go as it says in Prov 16:35 "The way which seem right unto man which end thereof is death." And again in Isaiah 65:2 even though God is reaching for mankind: All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes. It takes humility to stop and ask for directions, to admit you are lost, and to take help from someone who is familiar with the territory. Likewise it takes the humbling of the human heart to admit their need for greater assistance beyond themselves to make it, ultimately the help of God himself.
Let us say as the psalmist did in psalm 86:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. When we follow God He goes before us with the power and inner knowing of the Holy Spirit to lead the way just like the visible cloud and fire led the way for the children of Israel in the wilderness as it says in Exodus 13: 20And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
There are times when in crisis when God SPEAKS THE WAY through the mouth of godly counselors, His audible voice, the whisper of the Holy Spirit or the words of a prophet.
This
was like the children of Israel in 2 Chronicles 20. God sent them a
prophet to give direction at a key time of distress. King Jehoshaphat
prayed: 10And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you
would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom
they avoided and did not destroy— 11behold, they reward us by coming to
drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12O our God, will you not execute judgment
on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against
us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
And the prophet Jahaziel prophesied: 15And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you.”
The
instruction of the prophet was needed at this important step in order to get
the strategy to defeat the enemy. We need to take time-out to seek God
concerning direction when we get to a cross-roads and need clarity. Ps
27:11 says Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a
level path Because of my foes.
Sometimes God provides shortcuts or even CREATES A WAY to get us to our destination when we call on Him. The children of Israel saw that miracle when they were backed up against the Red Sea with their enemy closing in. God literally made a path in the water for the people to walk to freedom and safety on the other side. He will do the same to deliver those who call on them to get them out of their crisis and to a life of freedom in Him. Exodus 14 says 21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Part of stepping into the new path God makes for us is forgetting and letting go of the old route to go the new way God is bringing.
19Behold, I
will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will
even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
There are times in life when God intervenes for those going the wrong way and literally BLOCKS THE WAY to keep them from known or unknown dangers. He puts up road blocks and barriers to keep us safe from our own devices or those someone else has planned against us. This shows evidence of His sovereignty and all-knowing wisdom over every situation and circumstance.
God demonstrated His ability to stop
the enemy by closing the waters over them so they couldn't destroy Israel.
In Exodus 14 it says 23The Egyptians
pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses,
his chariots, and his horsemen. 24And in the
morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian
forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25cloggingb their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the
Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.”
26Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch
out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians,
upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand
over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning
appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD threwc the
Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the
chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them
into the sea, not one of them remained. 29But the people of Israel walked on dry
ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and
on their left.
God also stopped Balaam the false prophet from cursing Israel
for money in Numbers 22 as it says But God’s anger was kindled because
he went, and the angel of the LORD took
his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his
two servants were with him. 23And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a
drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went
into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. 24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path
between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pushed against the wall and
pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again. 26Then the angel of the LORD went ahead and stood in a
narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the
left. 27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam. And
Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to
Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because
you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would
kill you.” 30And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not
your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my
habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”
31Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam,
and he saw the angel of the LORD standing
in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his
face. 32And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you
struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you
because your way is perversec before
me.
God will also oppose those who oppose you and stop them in their
tracks if they stand against you when you are doing His will.
Life often throws us curve-balls. Our heart's road suffers disrepair when it is not tended or damaged and it takes time for the Master Constructor to repair the pavement sufficiently to go forward. Some never advance all the way God has for them because they are too damaged to trust, believe, and take risks. The healer is so gracious to those who yield to His loving hands so He REPAIRS and SMOOTHS THE WAY so they can obtain the promises and territory in the Spirit He has for them. Isaiah 58 promises that He will rebuild the waste places of His people and make them restorers of paths to walk in.
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;and you shall be like a watered
garden,like a spring of water,whose waters do not fail.12And
your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;you shall raise up the foundations of many
generations;you shall be called the repairer of the breach,the restorer of
streets to dwell in. This is reiterated in Isaiah 26: 7-8 which says "But for thohse who are righteous the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them. Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart's desire is to glorify your name."
Finally, there are times where we do not know what to do. This is when we look to Jesus who IS THE WAY. In John 14 Jesus was discussing the home He was making them in heaven. He said: 3When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4And you know the way to where I am going.”
5“No, we don’t know, Lord,”
Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6Jesus told
him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the
Father except through me.7If you had really known me,
you would know who my Father is.c From
now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
Jesus Himself
is our beginning and end. He is our starting point and destination and
all we have is for Him, from Him and goes back to Him. Romans 11:36 say For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be
glory forever. Amen.
Following Jesus means going His way and going to back to Him, at the
Father's right hand. When we take on the attributes, characteristics, and
works of Christ we are going the way, which is Him. You can never go
wrong when you do what Jesus would do, say what He would say, and be who He
would be, because as He lives in you, He will live through you and you will be
not only on the way but be the way for many others to follow to find their way
to heaven's rest.
Characteristics of Christ--THE WAY.
The
way of the Lord is narrow because it means humility and
dependence on God. It is difficult because it means
denying what the flesh wants and doing things for Jesus. Matthew 7
13“You can
enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hellf is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14But the
gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever
find it.
The way of the Lord is Holy. It is a place of divine wisdom for the simple. It is supernatural protection for the weak and lasting joy for the redeemed--those made righteous by Christ's blood. Isaiah 35:
8And a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.a
9No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.a
9No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Going
God's way is worth it in the long-run even though you may find times of
struggle, loneliness, and persecution. Knowing that you are walking in
the footsteps with Jesus gives you confidence that if you suffer with Christ
you will also reign with Him. 2 Timothy 2 says
If we die
with him,
we will also
live with him.
we will
reign with him.
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