No More Shortcuts!Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
The story goes that before the launch of GPS several friends were driving on a long road trip. As they approached the last stretch of the trip, the navigator checked the road atlas (map) and found an uncertain shortcut through a mountain that had a two-lane road with no street lights. The estimated shortcut would shave almost an hour off the trip. So they exited the interstate, drove to the mountain road and began their ascent up the dark mountain road. They were making great time using the shortcut and suddenly there appeared signs for the entrance of a state park and a ranger’s station. As their car slowed to stop at the park ranger’s gate, the driver asked the ranger to raise the gate and for permission to drive through the park to continue their destination. The ranger replied “you can’t get there from here”…”you will have to turn around and go back to the interstate and follow that route to your destination”. By choosing a short-cut to save time rather than the proven route, the friends reached a dead-end and had to return to the original route that would lead them to their destination.
Trust God to lead and guide you in every aspect of your life and don’t take shortcuts. Taking shortcuts can appear to provide an easier way and a shorter path but ultimately lead to dead-ends. Every day you face decisions and choices in life. Every decision has an outcome and every choice has a consequence. Some are significant and some less significant. Collectively, all of your decisions push you in a direction and ultimately determine your destiny. But what is the basis for your decisions and how can you know if your choices are aligned with God’s plan for your life. It all comes down your willingness to trust God with your life and follow His guidance by faith. It is a dangerous thing to take your life into your own hands and leave God out. Trusting in God is having assurance and absolute confidence that He will lead and guide you even through difficult and dark places in life. When you trust God and follow His direction, no shortcuts are needed.
It’s Time to Pray: Heavenly Father, teach me to trust in You alone for every decision in my life and allow you to direct my paths. Help me to learn to live by faith and not my limited understanding and help me to resist every temptation to take shortcuts…In Jesus Name, Amen!
