One Wrong Turn

One Wrong Turn

Have you ever turned left when you should have turned right, or missed your junction on the motorway?  The next junction is always 20 miles away and all the way there you know this is wasted time and energy.  You know you are going the wrong way. Sometimes pride keeps us from going where God wants to take us.  There are times when we head off in the wrong direction and just hope that God is going to put us right even when we are doing wrong.  We say; God please get me out of this; even though we put ourselves there.

God’s grace will keep us where His will takes us.

Sometimes it’s a long way back to where we should have been in the first place.  Jonah ended up in the belly of the whale because he went left when he should have gone right (Jonah 1). I have never been in the belly of a whale but I know what it’s like to be out of position. Just like Johan God always knows where you are.  The issue is we don’t know where we are...we fall out of position, out of God’s will and miss all He has for us.

Stay in position!  Just like Jonah, God has a plan for you and even in your dark places God’s hand of favour can bring you through and back into position.

I remember being in a situation that was going nowhere good.  I felt like I was on a rollercoaster.  I had lost direction and lost my peace.  I called out to God.  I said; Lord, help me, I’m lost and I don’t want to go any further but I don’t know how to get back.  I’m losing my way.  Lord, help me; show me the way; give me what is good for me not what I want; Lord, bless or break this situation.  The Lord put it in my spirit.  Son I can’t bless your journey as I have not commanded you to go in that direction.  When He had broken that journey part of me broke too.  The amazing thing I realised was that God loved me too much to give me too much.  Even though I was heading the wrong way He put it in my spirit to call out to Him.  It was a bit like checking the Sat Nav.  He said turn around I will put you back on route. It’s a long way back but I will be with you.  He told me; Carl, the plans I have for you are for good and not for evil (Jeremiah 29:11); turn from where you have been.  If you seek me and seek me earnestly you will find me (Deuteronomy 4:29). He told me; remember not the former things, I will do a new thing in you (Isaiah 43:18). I surrendered and allowed Him to order my steps. 

We often have all sorts of ideas and plans of who we want; what we want and when we want it.  The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:2).  He and He alone shall direct our steps.  We may take some wrong turns and even fall but the righteous man shall fall seven times (Proverbs 24:16).  He is made righteous because he gets up after each fall and surrenders to God.  We can’t make it by ourselves, we were not meant to.  God’s grace and mercy has made a way.  He has called us friend.  He is always present in our time of need (Psalm 46:1).

One wrong turn! Jonathan took a wrong turn that lead to his death (1 Samuel).  He should have stayed with David but he followed Saul to his death.  How many times have we taken turns in our life that could lead to spiritual death or physical death?

Sometimes we want the right thing at the wrong time.  Have you ever been hungry? Have you ever wanted something that was bad for you?  It’s ok to be hungry but it’s best not to fill your face with McDonalds.  Esau had a legitimate hunger but he dealt with it in an illegitimate way (Genesis 25: 29-34).  Sometimes we have the same issues.  We get together with the wrong woman/man; job; friendship and pay the price of what God had for us.  Esau gave up his birth right for a bowl of soup.  Samson lost his direction because he had a weak will (Judges 16:13).  They all took one wrong turn.  We too have to be careful of that turn.  Esau still got blessed but who knows what that bowl of soup costed him.  What’s your bowl of soup? 

Esau, Jonah, Sampson, Moses, Solomon, Jonathan, Saul and the Prodigal Son:  All these men took wrong turns.  God still blessed them even though they had to pay a price.  God can bless you even when you’re in the wrong place but you have to have the right heart; a heart for Him. If those who are called by my name would turn from their wicked ways and repent, I will heal them (2 Chronicles 7:14).

God has made a provision for all our wrong turns

It’s not too late to make a U turn and get back in position.