broken yellow linesI live on a rural road.  The kind of road where there are absolutely no street lights.  The road is black.  Headlights are great but bright lights are even better.

One night as I drove home, well after the sun had gone down, I realized that even with my brights on, I could only see about five to seven of those yellow lines.

You know.

The lines that keep you on your side of the street and that give you guidance as you drive.

As I approached a curve, I realized that those five to seven yellow lines gave just enough warning for me to know that I needed to bend my wheel slightly to the right to stay on the asphalt.   That small shift in the yellow lines was clearly marked.  But I only saw it because my eyes were on the road.

Hearing from God and knowing which moves to make is a lot like driving down my rural road.  Many times, he only gives us just enough guidance to get us a few hundred feet further.  No more. No less. And if we want to clearly know when we need to bend or turn, we have to be paying attention. We have to keep our eyes on his road for us.


Follow the Yellow Lines…

We have to keep our eyes on Him.

And if we take our eyes off of Him for just one second, it is totally possible to miss the signal that he is offering to us as we journey along.

It would be great if God gave us the WHOLE plan for our lives up front, right?  I wish sometimes this was the case.  I wish that he would tell me exactly what turns were coming and how long the curves would last.  Sometimes I hope that he will give me a sign. Scream my name if he has to or jump in front of me and make me stop, turn, or reverse in response to his roadblock.

But I’ve learned that while God won’t force Himself on us, He does absolutely speak and give us guidance.  He won’t reach down from heaven with a holy stick and “whack” us until we choose to stay in line.  In contrast, He speaks gently and encourages us to follow His way if we so choose.

So let me encourage you today to choose.

Choose to pay attention. Choose to sing even when you are frustrated with the lack of light you have on your road. Choose to be grateful for whatever little yellow lines God has placed on your path to give you signals, guidance, or direction as you walk, run, or even crawl along in your journey.

And rest assured that God will absolutely give you all of the information you need…

… Just when you need it.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (ESV)

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV)