The Fork in the Road
Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name [Psalm 86:11].
I was on my way to be the guest preacher at a church to which I had never before been. In fact I had never been to the town in which it was located. I had never passed that way before.
The cautious and prepared soul who lives within me didn't like taking chances. So I had someone from the church give me directions. Wouldn't you know it? As is often the case when directions are furnished by the locals, vital details are left out under the assumption the newbie knows the territory. Since the locals know their turf so well, it doesn't occur to them those from elsewhere don't!
So here I was, driving down the roads and keeping in step with the directions afforded me. I turned left when the directions said to, and in the same manner I turned right at the prescribed times. I zigged when told to and zagged when that was the direction given.
Who woulda thunk it? Suddenly there was a fork in the road. Do I go left or do I go right? Hmm. Let's see. What do the directions say? Uh, they don't... Ah oh, what to do? I could imitate the king of Babylon on his way to sack Jerusalem. Here's how he resolved being caught on the horns of his dilemma:
So much for that plan. Think I'll go with Plan B. So I hopped out of the car and flagged down the first passerby I saw. "Hey! How do I get to ...?" It worked a bit better than the whole divination scene. That's not my thing.
The Psalmist didn't much care for the divination scene either. He wasn't keen on the idea of facing life's crossroads with a divided heart. The thought of having a fork in the heart's road didn't cut it with him. He wrestled with the angel until daybreak, refusing to surrender. "Give me an undivided heart, O Lord! I must fear Your name, not doubt You and be indecisive at the crossroads."
The words of Psalm 86:11 are embedded in the hard disk of my gray matter. I ponder them anew frequently. I too want an undivided heart to fear the Lord, to fear Him as a loving, but righteous, Heavenly Father. He won't hesitate to take me to the woodshed, should He deem that profitable in promoting my spiritual maturity.
Don't we do the same for our kids? If not, then we are not much suited to be Christian parents. Let's ponder this concept a space and see how the Lord will work in our lives.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
I was on my way to be the guest preacher at a church to which I had never before been. In fact I had never been to the town in which it was located. I had never passed that way before.
The cautious and prepared soul who lives within me didn't like taking chances. So I had someone from the church give me directions. Wouldn't you know it? As is often the case when directions are furnished by the locals, vital details are left out under the assumption the newbie knows the territory. Since the locals know their turf so well, it doesn't occur to them those from elsewhere don't!
So here I was, driving down the roads and keeping in step with the directions afforded me. I turned left when the directions said to, and in the same manner I turned right at the prescribed times. I zigged when told to and zagged when that was the direction given.
Who woulda thunk it? Suddenly there was a fork in the road. Do I go left or do I go right? Hmm. Let's see. What do the directions say? Uh, they don't... Ah oh, what to do? I could imitate the king of Babylon on his way to sack Jerusalem. Here's how he resolved being caught on the horns of his dilemma:
For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the household idols, he looks at the liver [Ezekiel 21:21].
So much for that plan. Think I'll go with Plan B. So I hopped out of the car and flagged down the first passerby I saw. "Hey! How do I get to ...?" It worked a bit better than the whole divination scene. That's not my thing.
The Psalmist didn't much care for the divination scene either. He wasn't keen on the idea of facing life's crossroads with a divided heart. The thought of having a fork in the heart's road didn't cut it with him. He wrestled with the angel until daybreak, refusing to surrender. "Give me an undivided heart, O Lord! I must fear Your name, not doubt You and be indecisive at the crossroads."
The words of Psalm 86:11 are embedded in the hard disk of my gray matter. I ponder them anew frequently. I too want an undivided heart to fear the Lord, to fear Him as a loving, but righteous, Heavenly Father. He won't hesitate to take me to the woodshed, should He deem that profitable in promoting my spiritual maturity.
Don't we do the same for our kids? If not, then we are not much suited to be Christian parents. Let's ponder this concept a space and see how the Lord will work in our lives.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
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