Taking Dangerous Roads

So something struck me as I sat in traffic on 635 yesterday…and no, I it wasn’t another car, although I figure the odds are in favor of that happening eventually on this road. No what struck me is how incredibly dangerous 635 is. I think my chances of safety are better in a dark alley on the wrong side of town than driving on 635. So there I sat, in traffic, for the second time in three days (the other day having been Sunday in which I did not touch 635) watching the sign on the side of the road flashing “Traffic accident ahead.” I am fairly certain that the stretch of 635 between the Central Expressway and I-35 is one of America’s top accident prone roadways. Only a few days before, on my way to my company Christmas party, did I sit in my car for an hour while the freeway was shut down. It’s starting to become an expectation with me…travel 635 at your own peril. Of course I could take another route, but there is none as direct at driving on 635. So as I sat in my car, it dawned on me how often we take dangerous roads, whether we do so because we have to or because we choose to. Either way, dangerous roads are a part of life.

As I sat there and let that truth marinate for a while, I realized that the Bible is full of stories about roads, some dangerous, some narrow, some where transformations take place. It is very obvious that there is significance in this. We travel dangerous roads daily. It may be sin that is the danger, it could be true physical danger, it could be emotional, spiritual, etc…, but we do in fact travel dangerous roads. Now this isn’t to invoke fear or cause doubt or sorrow, but this is to make you, to make everyone aware that our safety is in the Lord, not traveling down the road of life. Too many times we put our trust and faith in the road we are on. We pop it in cruise control and our mind drifts off. Distractions come about and the next thing we know, we are off course or worse yet, we’ve encountered destruction. God wants our focus to be on Him and Him alone. In my realization of this I recalled a story that I have always found to be incredible. The people of Israel were being led out of Egypt and towards the Promised Land by Moses. On this road the people of Israel began to lose their focus on the Lord. Instead they complained and grumbled. Because of this, God sent poisonous snakes and many people died. Destruction had come to the people of Israel because they had lost their focus. I want you to read this though, and see what He does. Amazing…

Numbers 21:4-9
“They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!’

Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, ‘We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people.

The LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.’ So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.”

To the Jews, the snake on a pole symbolized a defeated serpent, but the significance of this story isn’t fully realized until Jesus says this in John. John 3:14-15: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Wow. The people stared at the symbol that was meant to symbolize Christ’s death on the cross and they lived. You see on these dangerous roads in life, it is so very easy to lose sight and at times we encounter our own personal destruction, but God’s desire for us is spelled out clearly in the Gospel. If we set our sights on Jesus He will guide us through and keep us safe. He is our cloud by day and our fire by night. He desires to walk us through these tough times, hand in hand, and at times He lifts us up and carries us. I don’t know about you, but that may just be the BEST news I’ve heard.

I can say that it feels like my life is nothing but dangerous road after dangerous road. It feels like all I do is duck and dodge one calamity after another, but as I sat there in traffic on that cold, foggy December evening I realized something. I realized that my focus needs to be on the cross. No matter the weather, no matter the road, no matter the circumstances, my focus must be on Jesus. Life can be trying at times, but God isn’t going anywhere. Contrary to Nietzsche God is most definitely NOT dead. He is very much alive and His desire is to make that known by His Spirit through Christ alone. No matter the trials, no matter the danger of the road, Jesus is there. Let these words remind you that Jesus is there with you. John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” There is no one greater to put my faith in than the One who has overcome the world.