07/06/09

Good Monday Mornin!

A couple of years ago myself and three buddies went up to the North Carolina mountains to go trail riding. Two of us were experienced, but the other two were novice, they had ridden some, but nothing like we were going to ride. We were going along pretty good, and I was looking for a left turn according to the map that I had. We came across a dense trail with an old trail marker next to it and I took us down that trail.

As soon as I took the left I knew that I had took a wrong turn, but I would not turn back. I kept going. The trail got narrower and narrower and we climbed higher and higher. The whole time my gut was telling me to turn around. It was screaming to me, TURN AROUND! But I kept going. We went down into a creek bottom where it was so boggy that the horses sunk to their knees in mud, but I kept going. We had to fight overgrowth so thick that you couldn’t see in front of you because you had to fight off the limbs, but I kept going. Finally the trail had a tree as big around as my truck laying across it, with further investigation we found out that was the end of the trail and we had to turn around and go back through all we had just come through to get out! Yeah, I was not a popular fella!

Why did I not turn around? Why not just go back as soon as my gut told me I was going the wrong way? The only answer I can come up with looking back on it now is pride. I did not want to look like I didn’t know where I was going, even though I didn’t. And I didn’t want to look stupid in front of the other guys because I was supposed to be the one who knew where he was going, even though I didn’t! So why did I keep going? My desire to be right overwhelmed my desire to do what is right.

The wisest man to ever live Solomon once wrote. . .

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Proverbs 22:3

This passage is such a no brainer, but why is it so hard to follow? I mean if I am driving down the highway and in front of me is a truck on fire that spreads across the whole highway I am going to turn around and get away from it! Common sense tells me to. But why, when I am walking down a road of destruction do I keep going? For instance, why when we know smoking causes lung cancer do some of us keep on smoking? Or why, since we know that alcohol grips some of us, do we keep on drinking anyhow? And why in the world when we are already in debt up to our ears, do we keep on buying? Pride. Pride says my desire to be right overwhelms my desire to do what is right.

So how do we break this cycle? It is not easy, and don’t let anyone lead you to believe that it is. The only way is to give Christ supremacy over your life. To believe in your heart that what He says is right and good. And that if we live according to His laws and principles for life that life will be better than what we can do for ourselves.

What was the original sin that Adam and Eve committed? Pride! They said, “God we know more about what is good for us than You do”, and they paid for it! In order to live God centered lives we have to submit ourselves to God’s will. And it goes against everything that we are because we were given this curse in the Garden of Eden. But it is an act of the will to say, “God You are right and I am wrong.” But it is the most liberating thing you can ever do.

When you see danger up ahead, take refuge, if you keep going you will suffer for it. God gives you a way out, He always does, just take it. When the Holy Spirit starts talking to your gut listen, and take refuge!

I love you all, have a great week.

Pastor Jason Lyle

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Hebrews 10:39