Stuck in a Rut - Pt 2

Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:16-19 ESV).

Some years ago I was hunting in the piney woods of east Texas. I had killed a large feral hog and had no way of dragging it out without my truck. At that time I had a two wheel drive Ford Ranger. It was a good truck, but not suited for dragging a 250 pound hog out of the mud and muck of an east Texas bog; before very long, I was stuck in my own ruts, buried up to the axles. I tried everything to get out of that rut. I tied off to a solid tree and tried to use the leverage of the tree to get out; I tried tying wood to the tires to give a wider footprint; I tried pushing and pulling; all of this only served to make it worse. I finally walked out of the area to a local farmer and asked him if he could bring his tractor to pull be out. What a mess! Later in the year on another trip I loaded my truck and got behind the wheel only to find a note left by my son, David. It simple said: “Remember Dad, this is NOT a 4-wheel-drive.” Well, there are some reminders I’d like to give you as you find yourself stuck in your “rut.” There are three basic steps. The first is to trust. Change is hard, scary and most of us try to avoid it at all costs. We like to stay inside our comfort zone. That’s not surprising, it’s called a comfort zone for a reason; it’s comfortable. But if you want to grow, you need to step beyond your comfort zone and embrace the unknown with the knowledge that the Lord is more than sufficient to lead and empower us for that unknown. This is certainly the reference of the Prophet Isaiah when he writes: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” God is not in the practice of leading us to a place where we cannot go through to his goal for us. As strange and challenging as the future may appear, God will lead us. Trusting him in our journey is the first step to successfully navigate out of our “ruts.” The risk is never in getting stuck in the mud and muck. The real risk is letting life pass you by while you’re in a comfortable state of complacency. Take the risk. It can change your life and the more you do it the easier it becomes until it too, becomes a habit. I often wonder what my life would have been like had I not trusted God with some of those decisions. I know it wouldn’t have been nearly as exciting. I am also absolutely sure it would not have nearly as fulfilling. We’ll look at the second step tomorrow. Today, trust the Lord!