Going Around the Mountain….Again!

I hate to drive. I especially hate to drive on long, boring trips. What really gets me upset though is missing a turn and getting lost somewhere in the wilderness. Parenthetically, when I do get lost, I revert to my feminine side and ask directions. I’m not that proud.

Another extremely irritating situation, when lost, is driving for a length of time, thinking you are on the right track, and then end up at your starting point. Don’t you hate it when that happens?

What is worse than all this is being spiritually lost. Those who truly know Jesus Christ can still lose their way at times. The world can draw them down the wrong path. They can become cold as they avoid fellowship, prayer, and Bible study and let the fire in their belly die out. And, they can simply rebel and try to do things their way. Who hasn’t done that at times?

There are some good Bible examples of being lost. God had delivered the children of Israel from 400 years of cruel slavery in Egypt. Instead of being thankful, they quickly complained about their circumstances. They were a stiff-necked, unbelieving, unthankful, and rebellious people. They spent 40 years in the wilderness wandering around when they were only 7-10 days journey away from their destination, the promise land. Many died as punishment for their sins.

We may judge the Israelites. But are we any better, really? Aren’t we, at times, stiff-necked, unbelieving, unthankful, and rebellious? Don’t we suffer consequences? Don’t we know better? Of course we do. We may try to silence that “still small voice,” but it keeps speaking to us making us aware.

When God works on a particular area in our lives we have a choice to make. We can learn the lesson He’s teaching us and allow the spiritual surgery we need, or we can go around the mountain, again. So often, we think we can navigate the terrain better than God. We rush toward the goal in our own strength only to find our selves back at the starting point.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to keep going around the same mountain. I want some new scenery. Our personal Promise Land is just a short distance down the road but it can take forever if we don’t ask for directions. God promises to lead us if we will only ask and submit.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18).