In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:6 NKJV
Recently, we drove a rural highway in the hills of Southern Indiana at night. Several years had passed since we’d traveled this uber-curvy narrow road. To tell you how bad it is, in some places the speed limit is fifteen mph. Heeding warnings here is important.
A pleasant surprise was finding that every curve had been upgraded with huge reflective arrows; one turn alone had a dozen. The straight sections remained marked as usual, but any upcoming swerve could be seen well in advance. What struck me was the stark difference between well-marked curves and the straights, where we didn’t need much guidance.
Turns must be navigated with care, or one is led astray with possible catastrophic results.
Life is surely our long and winding road. We never know what’s coming around the next bend. People ask God for a revelation, which way to turn—am I on the right road; can you please give me a sign?
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Matthew 7:13 NKJV
Christians don’t follow the crowds on many cultural and societal issues. Sticking to this path isn’t meant to be the restrictive walk the world makes it out to be, though. When we become a Christian, we become aware of God’s warning signs about avoiding tragedy on the bends. We just need to learn to watch for them.
On that Indiana highway, we didn’t get the usual single arrow of instruction; we had clear guidance the entire time. This is how God works, too. Always listening, willing and able to let us know what choice(s) He wants us to make.
Is God’s will always as obvious as our road arrows? Sometimes. Other times, not so much. He is right there behind us, as I often remind myself. He directs and determines my path. I need not fear.
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21 NIV
God’s reassurance in the straights gives us the courage to drive toward the curves.