What would happen?
Uh, as I drove on and mentally played out the experiment, I was shocked- not by how often I'd hear screeching brakes or the number of minor fender benders my bodywork would sustain- but by how many times I woulda been cleanly T-boned and knocked sideways outta my seat, while merrily going my way.
Obeying traffic laws seems to make good sense, and keep me outta trouble.
-- -- --
Having fellowship with friends who love Christ is good.
Brent Sears gave me an overview of the message he'd be presenting this weekend at a FCA event down in Jacksonville: while wandering around the desert, the Israelites began grumbling and rebelling because of the hardships they endured on their way to Canaan.
They wondered why God put so many delays and obstacles in their path when, being sovereign, he already knew their final destination. So why couldn't they just "pick up, go on and get there"?
Uh, could be because the Israelites weren't ready to receive the Promised Land ... as evidenced by all their suspicion, doubt and mistrust.
Or simply because God, in his infinite wisdom, had other plans. Which points back to the Israelites' failure to stop whining and Trust.
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Do we obey Christ because we expect him to keep us from getting T-boned in life's intersections, or because that's what he commands? Do we look for our advantage first, or wait for satisfactory explanations, before deciding whose will to obey?
Why are we willing to trust ourselves ahead of the Almighty? Is it because we're eager to take short-cuts to get what we want ... even if it means short-circuiting God's plan?
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How often do we find ourselves asking for explanations in our prayers? "OK Lord, I'm ready to go. It's time something changed, so what's the hold up?"
If we feel stuck in the desert of life*, and haven't yet arrived, figuratively, in the Promised Land ... could it be because we think we're willing to trust God ... so long as we see how trust benefits and satisfies ME?
* - Brent's term
