So I am running along the path that is marked out for me, and I get to this cross road. I look up ahead and I see another person running this other path, so I decided to follow this "other" path, thinking, this will lead back around to the path that I need to be on. So I take this path, not on the map, and I am running, and running (insert Forrest Gump voice here), and running. I am starting to think, maybe this is not the path I need to be on. At this point I have probably run about 4 miles, and then I see the person who was up ahead of me, running back toward me! Yeah, not a good sign. This path was a dead end!
So I turned around and had to run all the way back to the original path, remember, the one that was marked out for me? I finally made it back to the right path. The one I should have stayed on before. What started out as a short 2 mile run ended up being about a 5 or 6 mile run. Why? Because I decided to follow someone else, I decided to trust my own understanding instead of looking at the map where the path was already laid out for me.
As I ran back I began to laugh and myself, as I'm sure you have already done, and I thought of this verse...
Proverbs 13:15 (KJV) 15 Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.
Because I chose to go my own way, my path became much harder than it should have been. Aren't so many of us like this today? We have God's Word but we choose to follow other people, or we choose to reason things out, and go our own way!
What happens? We end up having a much harder road than what we would have than if we would just have trusted God's Word. His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. If we look to God's Word he will guide us in the right path, even though other paths may look fine, they may seem to lead us to good places, anything but Christ will lead to a dead end.
The way of the transgressor is hard. I transgressed. I went on a path that wasn't marked for me. I paid the price in miles ran. Thankfully, that is just more calories burned in this case! But what about life? We cannot afford to travel the wrong path with our families. Dad, someone is following you! Mom, someone is watching you! Which path are you walking?
When we take the wrong path the only way off that path is to do what I did - turn around. My way was harder because I chose to ignore the obvious, I chose to follow someone else, I chose to listen to reason. In my case today I am not hurt, but in some cases, people continue to travel the wrong path, thinking that things will change, thinking by chance that your life will change, circumstances will get better.
But the truth is, things will never change until you turn around, and get back on the right path, the only Way - Jesus!
So remember today, whatever you do, if you have a map (God's Word) - Follow it! Take it from a fellow transgressor, "your" way is NOT better!
