Turn Now!

“At the next intersection make a complete ‘u’ turn and follow the direction to return to your original route,” said a calm voice wanting to correct the driver who failed to follow the “commands” coming from his GPS. “Then, in five hundred feet, make a left turn and resume your route.” It was not normal to listen to an unknown and unfamiliar voice to provide information that would direct a driver to a destination he had never seen before.

Following directions from an unknown source is risky. Trust becomes a critical - if not the most critical - factor. How do we know if the person who is giving us advice is credible and trustworthy? Is that person looking out for our best interests or wanting to play a game with our life in the balance? No doubt all of us, at one time or another, have found ourselves on a route that was wrong - either by being careless or by making a mistake.

David decided to follow a route that would take him in the wrong direction. He went against God’s GPS. As a result, he ended up being guilty of a series of sins that came from giving in to a powerful temptation. It set in motion a chain reaction that follows the normal sequence of sin: first, he faced temptation; secondly, he refused to listen to the warning of the Holy Spirit; thirdly, he refused His route of escape; fourth, he committed the sin and then suffered the consequences of the sin on himself and others. What a tragic route he followed. But out of this tragedy there was his triumph. A “voice” said to him, “you have sinned!”

When David heard God’s voice, (His GPS), he admitted his sins and made a “u” turn. He asked God to forgive him and He did. “Have mercy on me,” he cried, “and blot out my transgressions.” If we, like David, listen to His voice and follow His “commands,” He will lead us safely in paths of righteousness

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy and unfailing love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.