Lost

I came home from Tennessee by way of Birmingham, Alabama yesterday and the road construction in downtown Birmingham was unbelievable. There were multiple bridges through the downtown area that were being taken down and replaced. We followed the detour signs and made it through what looked like a war zone in that area. It was almost scary coming alongside a ramp that just abruptly stopped several feet in the air. I do remember the last time I came through that road thinking about how old the bridges were. I’m sure it’s time to replace, but the way we were routed through from I-65 South to I-20 was a bit bizarre and confusing. The GPS on my phone was a bit comical. I was thankful for some good road signage that helped navigate me through the complex detour. Now that I have GPS on my phone, I don’t usually feel lost even though I am sometimes.

Isaiah is speaking to the people of Israel who are lost and their “GPS” is not directing them back to the Lord.  They are lost. The people who turn to the Lord will be saved and protected.  Check this out….

⁸ They don’t know where to find peace
    or what it means to be just and good.
They have mapped out crooked roads,
    and no one who follows them knows a moment’s peace.

⁹ So there is no justice among us,
    and we know nothing about right living.
We look for light but find only darkness.
    We look for bright skies but walk in gloom.
¹⁰ We grope like the blind along a wall,
    feeling our way like people without eyes.
Even at brightest noontime,
    we stumble as though it were dark.
Among the living,
    we are like the dead.(Isaiah 59:8-10 NLT)

I’ve been following the Lord since I was a young kid. I remember accepting the Lord into my heart and being baptized in the 3^rdGrade. I have had my share of detours from my following the Lord, but He is so patient with me. He leads me back to Him. In the last several years, I’ve spent time with Him in His Word and allowed Him to speak into my heart. It’s so much clearer to navigate the life He’s called me to live when I spend time with Him in His Word each day. It’s like the day before me makes much more sense.  I’m so thankful that He loves me in spite of the sin that I allow into my life. I’m so thankful that He reminds me of His love for me when I think I “love” something else. I’m thankful that He points out the idols in my heart that cloud my view of His heart.

I don’t ever want to forget what it was like to be lost before the Lord rescued my heart. I want to be patient and full of love to others who don’t know Him yet. I want them to experience the peace I have because of Him. I want them to find their way through the “construction zone” of their lives. He will help them build new roads and bridges that lead to His heart.

Pressing On!

Dwayne