Wrong Turns

Once a week Gemma and I travel from our home to spend the day with my Mum and to take her any items of shopping she needs. On a recent trip I turned off the route to fill up with petrol. Seeing a long queue at the petrol station I turned around only to see another long queue waiting to rejoin the road we had just left. I decided to turn left instead of right thinking I could take the road into town and then rejoin the route to my Mum’s home further along.

Instead, I soon found myself heading out into the countryside, not even sure of the direction we were travelling. I don’t normally go too long before asking for help when I’m lost but, on this occasion, there wasn’t anyone in sight to ask. I did have a Satnav in the car, but, instead of stopping to set it up, I kept on driving, convinced that I could find my way back to our original route. Increasingly conscious of Gemma’s concern for the frozen food we were taking to my Mum, I eventually faced the reality that we were lost and pulled over. I plugged the Satnav in and less than five minutes later we were back on the road to my Mum’s home.

Apart from the obvious lesson from above that when you’re lost on a car journey you should consult a Satnav, map, or person sooner rather than later, our experience did remind me of our verse today from Isaiah. The verse suggests a situation where someone has turned to the left or the right instead of continuing straight ahead on the path laid out for them by God. Turning off the Lord’s path for our lives can start with just a small deviation from His will that leads to an ever-increasing move away into spiritual darkness.

In John Bunyan’s story, Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian, and his companion Hopeful, climb over a wall to walk on a smooth path that seems to run parallel to the rough road they’re on. To their dismay, the easy path leads to them getting lost and ending up as guests of Giant Despair in Doubting Castle.

For myself, I know that I can begin to step off the safe path of the Lord’s will simply by reacting wrongly to my wife Gemma. If I don’t quickly stop and turn around my speech and attitude, I can easily allow the enemy access to our relationship and cause hurt and pain. Thankfully the Lord is always there calling me back to that right path of restored relationship with Himself and with Gemma.

Perhaps someone reading this Seed feels that they’ve gone too far down a wrong road just like Christian and Hopeful. The good news is that, through the cross and the blood of Jesus, there is always a way back into God’s will for our lives.

Prayer: Father, when I feel that I’ve lost my way, please help me to hear Your voice calling me back on to the safe path of Your will for my life. Amen.