Road Blocks Or Detours?

AS YOU ALL MAY KNOW, IN 1935, THE HOOVER DAM WAS BUILT ON THE COLORADO RIVER IN THE BLACK CANYON, BETWEEN ARIZONA AND NEVADA. IT STILL IS RECOGNIZED TODAY AS ONE OF THE NATION’S CIVIL ENGINEERING WONDERS.

WHAT MAKES THE HOOVER DAM SO UNIQUE IS THAT IT IS AN ARCH-GRAVITY DAM; THAT IS, IT IS AN ARCH LAID OVER ON ITS SIDE (LIKE THE LETTER “C”).

IT WAS PURPOSELY DESIGNED SO THAT THE MORE PRESSURE THAT IS APPLIED AGAINST THE DAM; THE MORE IT GETS WEDGED INTO THE SOLID ROCK, THE STRONGER IT BECOMES.

THAT SAME PRINCIPLE FINDS ITS PARALLEL IN OUR DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST. OUR LIVES ARE BUILT UPON THE SOLID ROCK, AND THE MORE PRESSURE THAT IS EXERTED AGAINST US, THE MORE OUR LIVES WILL BE WEDGED FIRMLY INTO JESUS, AND THE STRONGER WE BECOME.

THEREFORE, I ASK A SIMPLE QUESTION: IS YOUR LIFE WEDGED FIRMLY INTO JESUS? EVEN WHEN THE PRESSURES OF LIFE WEIGH HEAVY UPON YOU, DO YOU FIND YOURSELF BECOMING STRONGER BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST IS SECURE AND FIRMLY ROOTED?

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN MOVE AND ACT IN YOUR LIFE FOR YOUR GOOD AND NOT TO HARM YOU? DO YOU TRUST HIM THAT THE PURPOSE AND PLANS THAT HE HAS FOR YOUR LIFE IS PERFECT, WONDERFUL AND GOOD?

IF YOU ANSWERED ‘YES’ TO THESE QUESTIONS THEN START LIVING THAT “YES” ANSWER! THERE’S MORE TO IT THAN JUST BELIEVING THOSE TRUTHS IN OUR MINDS. WE MUST, FROM THE DEPTHS OF OUR HEARTS, LIVE OUT OUR BELIEFS AS AN ACT OF FAITH THAT GOD’S PROMISES ARE TRUE!

AS CHRISTIANS WE CANNOT AFFORD TO ALLOW FEAR, ANXIETY, DISCOURAGEMENT OR ANY OTHER NEGATIVE FEELINGS WE EXPERIENCE DURING LIFE’S CIRCUMSTANCES TO GET US DOWN OR SIDE-TRACKED. CHRISTIANS SHOULD NEVER GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY COME TOTALLY “UNGLUED” BECAUSE THEY ALLOWED THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES IN LIFE TO DICTATE WHO THEY ARE AS CHILDREN OF GOD.

IT IS TIME FOR CHRISTIANS TO STOP VIEWING HARDSHIPS, DISAPPOINTMENTS, AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS AS MAJOR ROAD BLOCKS IN THEIR LIVES AND TO START LOOKING AT THEM AS DETOURS TO GREATER OPPORTUNITIES AND/OR BLESSINGS!

OUR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE, IN VERSE 11, SAYS “FOR I KNOW THE THOUGHTS THAT I THINK TOWARD YOU, SAYS THE LORD, THOUGHT OF PEACE AND NOT OF EVIL, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE.”

THAT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE A ROAD BLOCK TO ME! IN FACT, I FEEL THAT VERSE JUST ABOUT SUMS EVERYTHING UP. NO MATTER WHAT YOU FACE IN LIFE GOD WILL EITHER GUIDE YOU THROUGH, AROUND, OVER, OR UNDER THE ISSUE TO THE OTHER SIDE!

BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE FOUND THAT REGARDLESS OF THESE PROMISES THERE ARE STILL THOSE WHO CAN’T WAIT FOR GOD OR JUST DON’T TRUST HIS GUIDANCE. THEY WOULD RATHER SUBSTITUTE GOD’S LEADING WITH THE EMPTY ADVICE OF SECULAR COUNSELORS, NON-CHRISTIAN FRIENDS, HOROSCOPES, PSYCHIC ADVISORS AND SELF-HELP BOOKS.

GOD HAS PROMISED US A HOPE AND A FUTURE. THE ONLY THINGS THAT HOROSCOPES AND OTHER SECULAR ‘SELF-HELP’ADVICE CAN OFFER ARE HOLLOW PROMISES THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE

BUT WHAT IS IT ABOUT THESE THINGS THAT LURE US AWAY FROM GOD WHEN ROADBLOCKS ARE SET IN OUR PATH? THEY LURE PEOPLE AWAY BY OFFERING TWO THINGS: DIRECTION AND PURPOSE. PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THE FUTURE AND WHAT THAT FUTURE HOLDS FOR THEM.

CHRISTIANS ALREADY HAVE THEIR DIRECTION AND PURPOSE. OUR HOPE, DIRECTION, PLANS AND PURPOSES ARE ALL CENTERED IN GOD, WHO HAS CREATED US ON PURPOSE FOR A PURPOSE. HE HAS FORMED US AND MADE US WHO WE ARE IN ORDER TO FULFILL A SPECIFIC MISSION FOR THIS PARTICULAR GENERATION.

HIS MERCY, GRACE AND LOVE IS SO IMMEASURABLE THAT THE WORST GOD CAN DO IS STILL INCOMPREHENSIBLY FANTASTIC! GOD DESIRES ONLY THE BEST FOR US! GOD LOVES US AND HAS GIVEN US HIS PROMISE THAT HE WILL NEVER DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD HURT OR HARM US. ALL THAT GOD CAN EVER DO IS GOOD AND WHAT IS GOOD FOR US!

GOD’S PROMISE TO ISRAEL WAS TO HAVE A PLAN AND PURPOSE FOR THEM TO FULFILL. IF THEY WANTED WHAT GOD HAD TO OFFER THEM, THEY WOULD RECEIVE IN RETURN, A FUTURE FILLED WITH HOPE AND WELFARE.

AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME ISRAEL HAD LOST SOME OF THEIR CONFIDENCE IN GOD AND BECAME RESENTFUL. ALL GOD ASKED FOR WAS THAT THEY REMAIN FAITHFUL BY TURNING TO HIM, SEEKING AND SEARCHING FOR HIM DAILY WITH ALL THEIR HEART.

HE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT HE COULD NOT CONTINUE TO BLESS AND FULFILL HIS PROMISES UPON A REBELLIOUS PEOPLE. THIS IS WHY OBEDIENCE, LOYALTY, AND FELLOWSHIP ARE FUNDAMENTAL IN A PERSONAL, LOVING, AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH ALMIGHTY GOD. BUT WE MUST ALSO ENHANCE THIS RELATIONSHIP THROUGH PRAYER, SEEKING OUT AND SEARCHING AFTER GOD WITH ALL OUR WILL AND ENERGY.

WE MUST BE IN A CONSTANT STATE OF “TURNING AWAY” FROM OUR WICKED WAYS. WE MUST ALWAYS BE TURNING BACK TO GOD THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. IF WE DO, GOD WILL HEAR US, ANSWER US, COME TO US, FELLOWSHIP AND COMMUNE WITH US DEEPLY AND INTIMATELY.