You may need to make a turn!

Intersections are interesting places.

On our roadways they are places where vehicles come together from different directions. Intersections must provide supervision, planning and enough information so that each vehicle leaves it going in the intended direction.

In business an intersection is a place where ideas come together, vision is added and the synergism turns into strategies, implementation plans and discernible goals.

The intersection that fascinates me is the one where God and I cross paths. Now I know theologically that God is a constant in our lives. We live in Him constantly … He never leaves our sides. But there are times when He interacts with us in ways that feel very much like we are approaching an intersection.

Before we invited God to be our companion on our journey, He was often passing us, going the opposite direction. Salvation was a u-turn to catch up with and begin going his way.

More and more we travel comfortably side by side … until we come to an intersection and He intends to turn and we hadn’t. That confluence of opposing purposes creates some temporary chaos, a bit of angst due to uncertainty as our settled direction is challenged. We struggle momentarily with our resolve to follow him.

And it’s at these points of discomfort, anxiety and a restudy of our personal commitment to him that becomes the climate for some of the most exciting times in our experience as ‘Followers.’ This is where miracles often have their headwaters!

– God turned toward the Midianites and looked to see if Gideon was following.

– God turned toward Goliath and watched David turn with him.

– God turned directly into the Red Sea and waited for Moses and Israel to follow.

– God turned to save his people and watched Esther make the turn with him.

– God turned toward Nineveh’s salvation and Jonah almost missed the turn.

– God turned to offer salvation to the world and Jesus, Joseph and Mary made the turn to get it going.

The next time it appears that God is slowing to make a turn that you hadn’t expected and did not show up on your map … slow down and make the turn with him. As a true follower you really don’t want to keep going straight, especially when miracles can take place when both of you are in the same place at the same time!

“Your own ears will hear him.
    Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
    whether to the right or to the left.”

Isaiah 30:21 New Living Translation

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