The Scenic Route

Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” (Hebrews 3:5-11 ESV).

I have a notorious reputation for being easily lost. I suppose you could say that I am “directionally challenged.” I cannot tell you how many times I have the voice of my GPS simply declare, “Recalculating.” I know that the inflection and tone of the mechanical voice is always the same, but I promise that I sometimes think it really wants to say, “Really? You’re lost again?” And to complicate matters, I am like most guys in that I don’t like to be told how to get somewhere. I would rather wander about than admit that I’m lost. I like to think I’m just taking the scenic route. Well, Moses wasn’t afraid to ask God for direction. So, the forty years of wandering about the wilderness weren’t Moses’ fault. Moses was going exactly where God was leading the Israelites. This brings me to my thought for today as we continue to see Lent move us closer to the celebration of the resurrection. God’s ways involve a circuitous route to a straight line destination. Life is what happens while we’re busy planning; and it is life, true life, that He desires to give us by taking us on the scenic route, building our faith. Now, on the scenic journey, we will see things and experience things that prepare us for the greatest parts of our journey. The scenic route is a journey of relationship and of formation. It seems God is constantly wanting me to hear him:  Be Still. I see the straight line because I’m in heaven. The only reason you see pointlessness is because you can’t see My point.  Be Still. I have things planned for you along the journey. You don’t need to take out a map as long as you have Me by your side.  Be Still. I’m not making you make your own way. I’m asking you to seek My way.  Be Still and Know that I AM God. I’m perfectly serious about how you view Me. So, think about it today. Are you still in the hand of God, seeking His direction by faith? Or are you wrestling, squirming, and wandering in your unbelief? Go ahead, relax, it’s the scenic route. You’ll get there just fine.