Divine Direction
I visited Tennessee this weekend.
It’s a straight shot down I-75 South – at least it was going.
Coming home up I-75 north proved a different tale.
We came through Knoxville and traffic hit a stand still.
Now, I’m not one to sit still. So, I got off the freeway, asked for directions and took a back roads detour. It was long, winding, out of the way. We hit this curvy, treacherous stretch of road that led up a steep mountainside.
It was worrisome, and I kept thinking, “I wish the main road was clear. I wish 75 was moving. This is crazy.”
Then, something beautiful happened.
Spots of sunlight flickered through the trees. I saw crystal clear blue sky. I heard rushing waters. I saw people fishing, boats on the water. It was absolute scenic beauty – relaxing, refreshing – and I couldn’t believe it was there.
Yesterday, I happened upon Norris Dam and Norris Dam State Park: two places very near the well worn path called I-75, but not on it.
Both bold. Both beautiful. Both brisk. Both breath-taking – but not on the beaten path. I had to do something different to get to these places.
Often, God allows detours like this to show us something great.
In the natural – the world’s way of doing things – there are certain, accepted paths to success. We go to college. We do internships. We get our first job. We get an entry-level position. We get a promotion. And another. And so on and so forth, and so on and so forth.
Or, we move out of our parent’s house. We rent an apartment. We have a roommate. We move out on our own. We buy a starter house. Then, a bigger house. Then the dream house. Always, we follow these predictable patterns to accomplish some specific end.
What if I-75 is blocked?
What if God’s got another way?
Check out 2 Samuel 5:22-25.
Here, King David is about to fight the Philistines. Before doing so, he inquired of the Lord. God’s reply was simple, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them.”
Wow.
David had some choices. He could go straight up. Or, he could circle around and attack them from behind. God was very specific about how David would receive the victory. Going straight up was not the way. He had to detour to get the victory.
The same is true with us.
We can’t always follow the tried and true path.
As Christians, we’ve got to find the narrow road. God’s got victory there just for us. There’s something so beautiful and blessed just beyond our obedience and willingness to follow God somewhere different.
I’m not sure who I’m writing for today, but I feel very specific. I believe one of you has to decide between a road you know and a road you don’t know.
It’s scary.
It’s frightening.
And you’re unsure, but this is your word.
You don’t have to do it the world’s way.
There is another way: God’s way. It’ll take you pass places you never knew existed. It’ll reveal things once hidden. This is the path of wisdom and righteousness and it’s very personal and specific to you. It’s yours.
You’re not going to climb the corporate ladder one rung at a time: maybe God’s going to cut the whole thing down and put you on an elevator. Or, maybe you’re going to carve out a new set of steps. I don’t know - but you’re not going the way you thought you would.
Take me.
I thought I’d be a star reporter. I went to college. Did the internships. Got a job. Worked hard. Started at a nice –size newspaper. Went to a larger one. The next steps should have been natural – The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Miami Herald. That’s how it happened for my friends.
Not me.
God’s got me “circling around behind them.” And that’s cool.
Recently, I covered the Kentucky Derby. I was working for a national magazine. Because of the magazine’s prestige, they had me in a room by myself – while all the other media were congested and kept behind a rope. I was alone. I got top priority and the celebrities were ushered over to me first. At one point, I looked up and saw a long line of famous names waiting to talk to me. (And doesn’t that literally make me a “star reporter?”)
That’s nothing but Jesus.
His love.
His majesty.
His favor.
His kindness – His way.
Follow him, and let his very perfect path unfold for you. It’s not a typical path, it’s his very special, specific path that allows Him to get glory through you.
Know that I love you each, L.
It’s a straight shot down I-75 South – at least it was going.
Coming home up I-75 north proved a different tale.
We came through Knoxville and traffic hit a stand still.
Now, I’m not one to sit still. So, I got off the freeway, asked for directions and took a back roads detour. It was long, winding, out of the way. We hit this curvy, treacherous stretch of road that led up a steep mountainside.
It was worrisome, and I kept thinking, “I wish the main road was clear. I wish 75 was moving. This is crazy.”
Then, something beautiful happened.
Spots of sunlight flickered through the trees. I saw crystal clear blue sky. I heard rushing waters. I saw people fishing, boats on the water. It was absolute scenic beauty – relaxing, refreshing – and I couldn’t believe it was there.
Yesterday, I happened upon Norris Dam and Norris Dam State Park: two places very near the well worn path called I-75, but not on it.
Both bold. Both beautiful. Both brisk. Both breath-taking – but not on the beaten path. I had to do something different to get to these places.
Often, God allows detours like this to show us something great.
In the natural – the world’s way of doing things – there are certain, accepted paths to success. We go to college. We do internships. We get our first job. We get an entry-level position. We get a promotion. And another. And so on and so forth, and so on and so forth.
Or, we move out of our parent’s house. We rent an apartment. We have a roommate. We move out on our own. We buy a starter house. Then, a bigger house. Then the dream house. Always, we follow these predictable patterns to accomplish some specific end.
What if I-75 is blocked?
What if God’s got another way?
Check out 2 Samuel 5:22-25.
Here, King David is about to fight the Philistines. Before doing so, he inquired of the Lord. God’s reply was simple, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them.”
Wow.
David had some choices. He could go straight up. Or, he could circle around and attack them from behind. God was very specific about how David would receive the victory. Going straight up was not the way. He had to detour to get the victory.
The same is true with us.
We can’t always follow the tried and true path.
As Christians, we’ve got to find the narrow road. God’s got victory there just for us. There’s something so beautiful and blessed just beyond our obedience and willingness to follow God somewhere different.
I’m not sure who I’m writing for today, but I feel very specific. I believe one of you has to decide between a road you know and a road you don’t know.
It’s scary.
It’s frightening.
And you’re unsure, but this is your word.
You don’t have to do it the world’s way.
There is another way: God’s way. It’ll take you pass places you never knew existed. It’ll reveal things once hidden. This is the path of wisdom and righteousness and it’s very personal and specific to you. It’s yours.
You’re not going to climb the corporate ladder one rung at a time: maybe God’s going to cut the whole thing down and put you on an elevator. Or, maybe you’re going to carve out a new set of steps. I don’t know - but you’re not going the way you thought you would.
Take me.
I thought I’d be a star reporter. I went to college. Did the internships. Got a job. Worked hard. Started at a nice –size newspaper. Went to a larger one. The next steps should have been natural – The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Miami Herald. That’s how it happened for my friends.
Not me.
God’s got me “circling around behind them.” And that’s cool.
Recently, I covered the Kentucky Derby. I was working for a national magazine. Because of the magazine’s prestige, they had me in a room by myself – while all the other media were congested and kept behind a rope. I was alone. I got top priority and the celebrities were ushered over to me first. At one point, I looked up and saw a long line of famous names waiting to talk to me. (And doesn’t that literally make me a “star reporter?”)
That’s nothing but Jesus.
His love.
His majesty.
His favor.
His kindness – His way.
Follow him, and let his very perfect path unfold for you. It’s not a typical path, it’s his very special, specific path that allows Him to get glory through you.
Know that I love you each, L.
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