Hello Fellow Travelers,
As Mike and I continued our Michigan adventure, we battled a common enemy: navigation apps. Didn’t matter whether the app was the truck’s navigation, Google Maps, or Apple Maps, they all seemed to have the same issue. They wanted to save us as much time as possible.
Sometimes that efficiency contained a hidden cost.
Choosing the Main Road
On one of our driving days with the RV, we balked when the truck navigation wanted us to take a very small, gravel road. This road bypassed a few sections of the main route, saving us maybe a minute, but costing us possible damage from flying rocks or getting stuck on a road where we might have to back up the RV. To save a minute of driving time? No.
Another time Google wanted us to bypass a section of Pictured Rocks main road, which was narrow enough with low hanging trees for an even smaller road in a forest!
I don’t think so.
God’s Ancient Paths
Yet my people have forgotten me; they burn incense to worthless idols, which made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths. They made them walk in byways, on roads not built up. Jer 18: 15
The Lord gave this message to Jeremiah, who in turn gave it to the exiles in Babylon. The people had refused to follow the Lord’s commandments. They refused to stay on the main road but walked byways their idols had prepared for them.
We can follow our own idols of convenience or expediency. It may be easier to only study the Bible by ourselves. However, if that is all we do, and we bypass the longer road of meeting with others in Sunday School or a group Bible study, we might get lost in the dark forest of misinterpretation of scripture. However, we might find ourselves in that same forest if we only rely on what others say about the Bible and neglect studying it on our own.
Choosing the Scenic Route
Another day, we wanted to head out from our campground to Hungarian Falls. When I looked at the map, I wondered about traveling down the other side of the Keneewah Peninsula. Turns out it would only add 15 minutes and we would see a section of this beautiful peninsula we hadn’t seen yet. Well, our navigation systems did not like that plan. They continually tried to reroute us as we drove, believing our route to be a foolish waste of time. We finally put in some towns on our route to pacify the navigation system into allowing us to take the desired road.
We enjoyed our scenic route, though the journey wasn’t perfect. At one point, construction crews closed the road to one lane for miles and miles.
Yet we were also blessed with views of surprise waterfalls, expansive vistas of Lake Superior, and a delightful roadside park.
God’s Scenic Route
Sometimes, the Lord himself will lead us off the main road onto a more scenic route, as he did with the Israelites when they left Egypt.
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” Ex 13:17
In this instance, the Lord wanted the Israelites to continue their journey to the Promised Land instead of returning to slavery in Egypt. In the New Testament, Paul planned to preach in Asia Minor. The Lord kept changing Paul’s internal GPS until he went to the Macedonians instead (Acts 16: 6-10).
He might ask you to do something out of your comfort zone, off the regular, normal route like going on a mission trip. Friends may ask you, “Are you sure you need to go on that mission trip? Can’t you just give money instead?” You might think to yourself, “Who do you think you are going to Kenya? You have nothing to offer.” Yet, the Lord keeps changing the course you set and guiding you to take this different route.
However, just because God chooses the road for you doesn’t mean it will be a modern, smooth highway. In fact, it probably won’t be. Our missionary journies have included spending 8 hours or more in customs, power outages in the OR, and other difficulties. Yet, we have also seen tears of joy at a son’s salvation, beaming smiles as a patient walks without pain, and God's miraculous provision of supplies from unexpected places.
How Do I Decide?
So how do we know whether to stay on the main road or take the scenic route? We ask the Lord to show us.
Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5
Wish I had that magic formula, but I don’t. Easy steps cannot replace an authentic relationship with our Father. He decides whether we stay on that main road or take a scenic byway.
As you travel the roads of life over the next few weeks, I pray that you may feel the Lord’s guiding and comforting presence, whether you are journeying on the main road or taking the scenic route.
Activities
1. In your journal, write down the times you have tried to take shortcuts off the main road. What did those shortcuts cost you?
2. Have you ever been determined to stay on the main road, when God wanted you to take the scenic route? Write about that time in your journal.
Upcoming Travels
So, we have been enjoying our adventures so much that I haven’t had time to share as many blog posts as I thought I would. I have decided this is mainly a time to gather ideas and inspiration. The writing will wait until we return home.
Here are a few pictures from the Hungarian Falls hike. This relatively easy hike includes three different waterfalls!
Thank you for taking this journey with me!
Christine
The background music is “Piano for Meditation” by Praded
I love your various correlations to taking different paths!
“Confused Mike” made me laugh. I love the analogy though. Those falls were beautiful. Looking forward to the rest when you get back.