Back to Where We Started

Looking in retrospect upon our travels thus far, there is one thing that must also be addressed. When traversing this great land of wonders and opportunity, even for the most seasoned traveler, at times we deviate from our travel plans. We jump on one train too quickly, or sometimes we choose to simply go in the complete opposite direction than specified. We are not faithful to follow the guidelines outlined for us, we mistake the wisdom of the only One to fully complete the journey and rely on our own wits or intuition. Perhaps we simply do not like the idea of where our journey is leading, or we simply have a change of heart as to where the most favorable destination lies.

Whatever the cause of the deviation matters not, only that we are deviated from the Master Traveller and Conductors plan. There is one truth that links any deviation from this Master Plan, no matter how far we travel away from Him, there is always an end to the line. It’s almost as we are travelling to get to San Diego from Augusta, Maine. To get to San Diego one does not travel north or east but rather south and west. Somewhere along our route we see that the immediate scenery in the north and east directions are more appealing hoping somehow there is a connecting line to bypass the desert we need to pass through to get to our destination.

However, after an hour of travel or so we see that our lush scenery has turned to death and destruction and we wish we had simply gone in the right direction from the start.
There is no connecting line to get you back on route, you simply hit a dead end and have to go back to where you started from. At this point we realize how foolish we were to waste our time and resources on such an empty pursuit, however, we are now headed back in the right direction.

It’s a long train back to where we started.

Usually at this time, there us much remorse and sorrow and regret for deviating from the main travel plan. And at this point in time we also realize how much farther towards the final destination we could be had we not had to back track. But there is always a helpful and loving Friend to accept us after we return from our deviation. The Master Conductor is always a gracious and supportive leader. He does not care where you have been so much as you are back on the right train headed in the right direction.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word
is not in us." 1 John 1:7-10

Nehemiah was a great man who was the Lord’s leading man in getting Israel back on the train in the right direction. One of the greatest things in all that he did though was to admit that he had sinned just as much as any other member of that rebellious nation. Reading through the book
of Nehemiah we can see that getting Israel back to where they had started was not an easy route. Day and night the men of Jerusalem built and guarded, building with swords and spears in hand, ready to protect the Lord’s city as well as their brothers.

When we look at the southwest train through the desert and scorching heat, there is one thing to remember: though for a short time there is oppression, we will soon reach the promised land, the final destination, the Lord’s abode, Heaven.

I hope that through reading this you began to realize the same thing our good friend Clive did when he wrote:

"But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His
love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and,
therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of
those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever
cost to Him." C.S. Lewis.

What we do know is that God is ever faithful when we are not. He is always to help us back to where we started and in progressing onto the final goal. He is gracious and merciful is He not?

Love Always,
Matt