The Road Ahead

My mind churns along many different paths, and I was thinking about a song we sang when I was young - in a church choir no less...

Song: I’ve Got A Long Way To Go
Chorus
I've got a long way to just to be like the Lord
I've got a long way to go to be like Him
I've got to be merciful, dutiful, faithful and true, kind and just in all that I do
I've got a long way to go to be like the Lord
Verse 1
I don't remember trudging up a rugged hill, with a cross upon my back
I don't recall a thorny crown placed upon my brow and now as I look back…
I've never been spit upon, ridiculed, wounded in my side, Life's no of bed of roses but still I’m alive
I've got a long way to go just to be like the Lord
Verse 2
I'm traveling onward upward daily Lord am I, on my way to victory
But when I reach that city some morning by and by, O Lord remember me
So won't you strengthen me, encourage me, deliver me I pray, Lord you know my weakness that is why I say
I've got a long way to go just to be like the Lord
Ending
I've got a long way to go (2x)
I've got a long way to go Just to be like the Lord


Can anybody know the future? What lies around the next bend? What will the morrow bring? If I cannot add one cubit of stature to my physical frame, how can I know something that has not yet occurred? Weather forecasters do exactly what their titles describe – they forecast the weather – in other words, they predict what it will be like tomorrow. Based upon science and some marvelous technology, they sense what will happen with air temps, wind velocities, moisture content, high and low pressures, jet streams, etc. But they do not really KNOW…. They PREDICT….

My thought is that I really do not know what is on “The Road Ahead…” but scripture gives us enough warning and direction to keep our head in the game…

I’ve looked back over the years of ministering and have preached these thoughts, including one that I heard from a very good friend of mine in Texas:

1. Driving thru Donner’s Pass of the Sierra Nevada Mountains that essentially splits California from Nevada, and in that mountainous trek of hilly roads and sharp corners, there was a sign ahead that gave warning to motorists – Steep Hill Ahead, Crank It Up!
Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Acts 1:6-7 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? {7} And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
1 Th 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2. Life is busy, yet there are times when it gets so busy we are easily overwhelmed, much like riverbanks that flow over and take over everything in its path.
Jer 12:5 "If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?"

3. "I remember when my burdens rolled away I had carried them for years night and day When I sought the blessed Lord, And I took Him at His word, Then at once all my burdens rolled away. Rolled away. Rolled away. I remember when my burdens rolled away. Rolled away. Rolled away. I remember when my burdens rolled away."
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
(Thanks Brett!)

4. Whether I needed to or not, when I recently drove to see my son, I would stop regularly and fill up the tank. My thought: “It’s time to fill’er up.” The fuel gauge may not be very far down the scale – but I wasn’t taking any chances.
Luke 14:15-24 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. {16} Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: {17} And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. {18} And they all with one consent began to make excuse.

5. Sleep is the Enemy of Man.
Matt 26:40-41 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Let me give you three scriptures to consider, each a full message within themselves, but collectively they help us to focus on staying on "The Road Ahead".

First:
Prov. 4:26-27 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Ponder, such a strange word. I thought of other words that end in "...onder" and came up with "yonder, wonder, fonder". In Hebrew, the word means "...To roll flat, to prepare [as a road]; to revolve, or to weigh [mentally]." I surmised it to reflect that I should "weigh something out in my mind…"

Have you ever been caught up in a predicament and not sure how you got into the trouble you are in? A misstep, a misspoken word, a mislabeled thought… Acting without thinking about direction, thus you "Open mouth, insert foot."

How do you back out of a situation that you have put yourself into?

Jer 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Proverbs also states that we should not “Turn not to the right hand nor to the left...” The Hebrew for turn means by implication "...to bend away". In other words we are not to "turn away" from God's path and follow the distractions that would lead us in other directions. One way of looking at it, "don't chase down the rabbit trails" because they will lead you away from the path you're on.

Second;

Ps 119:59 I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

This brings me to another message I have enjoyed to preach in the past, Thimk and Do…

In Philippians 4, Paul begins to sum up his epistle with this thought: verse 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Keep our minds and thoughts upon the things that produce good reports. Keep our minds from slipping into the gutter!

He goes on to state: verse 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Not only do you follow Godly examples, you are an example to others - watch how you example your life to everyone you come in contact with...

Many years ago I was a mainframe computer operator for a company that produced oil wellheads. On the top of the mainframe (IBM 370/135 DOS VS/Power) was a sign that came from IBM (I think). It used a particular font that make the word stand out, and at first glance you would think that it said "THINK". For several weeks I would glance at it and think that it was telling me to think about my next action while at the console. After awhile I begin to look at the word closely and it actually said "THIMK". Unless you observe closely, and think about it correctly, you would never think that it was really telling you to thimk....

You see, the first step in going the right direction was to consider what I’d done wrong. "If I always do what I’ve always done, I’ll always get what I’ve always gotten…"

You ought to thank GOD that He cares enough about the direction you’re going in that He sends you signals from time to time! As a pastor, my job is to be the watchman on the wall. When you ask about the night, the unknown, the direction…, give me the opportunity to give you some things to consider before you make your choice!

Finally;

Ps 119:58-61 I thought about the wrong direction in which I was headed, and turned around and came running back to you. (TLB)

Gravelly Lake Road, in Lakewood, has confused me too many times. Dissect it from one direction at a particular location, you can end up going the wrong way with all the twists and turns. Go too far in one direction you might as well just keep going because you’ll get close to the place you started from.

Yet, regardless of how far you have gone, when you realize you are headed the wrong way, it's not too late to work at making right that which you did wrong!

All of us need to take time to reflect on the direction we're headed. There are a lot of "look-alike" roads out there. Satan is transformed into the angel of light and he looks like the "real deal." But he's not, he's a false light!

There is only one thing that is Real - and that's Christ! Choose your road wisely... Prov 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.