"...Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
When I was a little boy, there was major construction happening in Stockton, and it was very exciting to me. Interstate 5 was going to be going through Stockton and there was this incredible bridge being built. It is near the Port of Stockton, and it spans an area near the turning basin where ships dock and actually turn around. The reason it was so exciting is that I used to go fishing in that area with my dad, and I rode my bike in that area with friends. The machines and equipment were huge. There was dust in the air, pillars being built, and slowly the progress was taking place. I actually remember the night that the bridge opened and people were allowed to ride their bikes and walk across the bridge. It was from Pershing Avenue all the way to the crosstown freeway and even to Charter Way (which is now called Martin Luther King Boulevard).
There were some road signs at the bottom of each off ramps, and I don't know if I ever noticed them before. The sign was red and the words were "WRONG WAY". I didn't really know what they were for, and so I asked my dad. He told me, "Well, these are off ramps and the cars only supposed to be leaving the freeway on these. These signs are warnings and a reminder about which direction to travel in. They are for everyone's safety."
The Scriptures have many road signs that speak the idea of "WRONG WAY". For everyone's comfort and cooperation, there are some things that God says "no" to doing. It is wrong. Maybe the activity is harmful for the sake of community, maybe God is protecting others, maybe it is a serious warning that protects us from pain, and maybe we simply just are putting something more important than His Holiness. God simply says no.
These aren't suggestions from a friend, not a government protocol - these are God given, God directed declarations that it is the "WRONG WAY". As we admire God's holiness and place our lives in HIs hands, we honor Him by obeying these commands. When we read Scriptures where God says "WRONG WAY", that's the best time to remember that His ways are higher than our ways, and that He wants us to say no -because He has something so much better in store for us.
If you look up the verse at the start of today's devotional, you will realize that God is always there. Because He is there, we do not need to fear. And because He is there, He knows which things are a mess for us, and which temptations would be ugly to get involved in doing.
