“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice, behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21 NIV

The Obstacle Course

My husband and I affectionately call the road leading to our house “the obstacle course.” Every time it rains, the road becomes worse to drive. It has been patched and re-patched, and is in desperate need of complete repaving. After a storm, new potholes open, and existing ones enlarge. My husband always reminds me to avoid these places so I don’t damage my vehicle’s tires. The road is not straight and has a couple of little hills; if there is oncoming traffic, it is very difficult to avoid the pitfalls.

As I was navigating my way to town one day, and hit one of those potholes, hard; I then prayed my car was not damaged, and I thought of how my walk with Jesus can be just like this. I do my best to keep my eyes on Him, to hear His voice speak into my life and make the choices He leads me to make. But the storms that open up potholes in my life, that I try to avoid, still happen. Yes, sometimes I do hit a rough spot. You know what I am talking about: financial problems, medical issues, broken or strained relationships, tragedies—things that happen oftentimes when we are least prepared or expecting it.

When we already have cracks or small potholes going on in our lives, these storms can make them worse, opening up wounds and weakening us. It is in these times we need to keep a laser focus on Jesus. He will direct our path and keep us from falling into a pit and getting hurt.

Psalm 119:1-4 in The Message says, “You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow His directions, doing your best to find Him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road He set.”

As Christians, our roads are not smooth and straight and easy to navigate. They can be difficult. I think I need to slow down, setting my eyes and ears on Jesus. This is not easy. I don’t always hear God’s voice, I don’t always see the problems coming and don’t know what to do when they happen. This is in spite of the fact that I pray, read His Word, and study the Scriptures. Life can definitely be an obstacle course, but what I do know is that without Jesus I would have no hope of repairing the potholes in my life and preparing in advance for the next storm.

“Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are in control of the storms, and that you can heal and repair damage done when the storm is over, creating newness and restoration for those who love You. Help me to keep my eyes on You through the good and the tough times, revealing Your perfect path for my life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”