The Traffic Reporter

What a glorious day, yesterday. Snow had fallen the day before and, in sparkled refractions of the morning light, enhanced the glory of the dawn. I was traveling yesterday, heading out to have lunch and spend time with a very dear and long-standing friend. He lives about a hundred miles away, and there is one highway to travel that takes me to his home.

As I merged into traffic, flowing freely and fast, I turned on the radio. Do I turn on the sermon channel? Do I listen to the dulcet tones of wonderful Christian music? No... I tune in to that particular station where I know I will hear the traffic report. Now, remember, there is only one - count them ONE - highway between he and me, and I must need drive that singular way if I'm going to get to his location. Why listen to the traffic report? I won't turn back... there's no alternate route... and I can't affect what's before me to change the situation in any regard. But, like you (I suppose), I want to know what to expect - even if I can do nothing about it. I want a "heads-up" to what trouble might await me.

And that, my friends, is so often what we expect from God.

We call upon God to give us warnings of what's to come, to be for us a spiritual traffic reporter and provide us ample notice for all that's ahead. But He won't. He calls us to have faith in Him and go forward, knowing that there will be hardships and trials, that there will be roadblocks and reckless drivers in our path.

Consider Paul's words to the Ephesian elders, "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." ~ Acts 20:22-24

We don't know what will happen to us along this highway of life. And God is not the Divine traffic reporter who must give us a "heads-up" before we head out. He calls us to go forth, to trust Him and to take the road - the only road - that will lead us to Him... the road that follows Jesus by faith.

Don't be dissuaded by the road ahead. Don't turn back for fear of a dangerous drive. There is no alternate route to take.

Drive on.