That Road

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” – Psalm 16:11

“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.” – Psalm 66:16-20

Scripture Reading: Psalm 1

A strange but very cool thing has happened to me in recent months. The Lord has started helping me to write songs (James 1:17). Today, I feel led to share with you the words of the most recent song, “Don’t Take That Road”. Let these words sink in, and then I’ll talk a little more about them:

Remember when, you took that road,

And you left with so much promise, and your heart was filled with hope.

But then you found, sin had a price,

And the life that you had chosen, was killing you inside.

But the Shepherd came and found you, took you back into the fold,

And the Father ran to meet you, at the end of that same road.

Don’t take that road. Don’t go that way.

There’s nothing there that’s worth the price you’ll have to pay.

Stay close to God. Stay by His side.

Remember all He gave to save you from that life.

Please don’t believe the lies that you’ve been told.

Don’t take that road.

You’ve come so far.

You’ve been so blessed.

And God’s done miracles in spite of your mess.

But now sin lies, outside your door.

Temptations call you to the life you knew before.

There’s a road that beckons to you,

But I beg you not to go.

Just stay here with your Father.

Let His mercy be your home.

Don’t take that road. Don’t go that way.

There’s nothing there that’s worth the price you’ll have to pay.

Stay close to God. Stay by His side.

Remember all He gave to save you from that life.

Please don’t believe the lies that you’ve been told,

There’s a contest playing out,

And my friend, you are the prize.

There’s a battle that is raging, between death and life.

There’s an enemy who calls you, to a dark and desperate place.

And a God Who wants to hold you, as a trophy of grace.

Just seek His face,

And don’t take that road.

Just hold on to the God Who loves you so, And don’t take that road.

I’ve been around long enough to know that each of us has a bad road that beckons to us (Proverbs 22:3, Ephesians 6:10-13). No matter how well we clean up on Sunday, we all have sins of the heart that forever pull at us and try to drag us away from God’s will and the work that He wants to do in our hearts and in our lives. Maybe you struggle with depression (Psalms 9:9). Maybe you struggle with pride, a mind that runs in the wrong direction, or a mouth that simply won’t stop running (James 4:6, Proverbs 21:27, Ephesians 4:29). Maybe you long for things that you know you shouldn’t have (Romans 8:6-8). Maybe you catch yourself listening to the world more than you listen to the Word (Psalm 1:1-2). Maybe you catch yourself loving your stuff more than you love your Savior (I John 2:15-17).

When we think of people going astray, prodigal sons, and lost sheep, we think of big, ugly sins – the kind of stuff that makes the six o’clock news and lands people in rehab. But can I tell you, Satan’s purposes are just as easily served by the sins that fly under the radar – the sins of the heart and the mind. These are still sins in and of themselves, regardless of whether or not they lead to more obvious stuff. And even if you can keep them inside, they will still keep a wedge between you and God (Psalm 66:18, Romans 3:23).

My plea to you – don’t take that road. Don’t settle for being clean enough to pass inspection on Sunday. Make sure that every aspect of your life, your heart, and your mind passes God’s inspection (Psalm 139:23-24). You can’t fool Him, but you can call on Him to help you battle anything that stands between the two of you (II Timothy 2:3-4). Hold on to Him (James 4:8). Let His Word guide your thoughts, your actions, your every step (Psalm 119:105). He is the Way (John 14:6), His will is the path you want (Psalm 23:3), and if you draw near to Him, He will draw a beautiful picture of grace with your life.

YOUR PRESCRIPTION

What road are you on today? Check the direction of your heart and mind, and make sure that you are heading in God’s direction. If not, ask Him to help you make a “you-turn”, and get back where you belong.

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