I have always been a fan of the movie "The Wizard of Oz." Remember Dorothy's trek down the yellow brick road? In one scene, she reached an intersection of three roads, all of which appeared to be satisfactory to travel... but which one was the right one? As she stood pondering which direction to take, a kindly scarecrow began to offer advice-- first one way and then another. In frustration and confusion, Dorothy loudly voiced her objections and her desire to walk the correct road in order to reach her intended destination, that wonderful land of Oz.
There are many times when we reach crossroads in life which require that we make a choice. Which way will we go? Which pathway will get us to our intended destination? Which voice (advice) should we heed in making our decision? These are crucial and important questions. If we choose the wrong road or listen to the wrong voice of direction, we will be drawn off course and may never realize the desired arrival.
Many years ago (almost too many for my mind to handle) my young son, Shawn, was accompanying me on a shopping trip in a local mall. His idea of fun did not include sorting through racks of clothing options to select a gift for someone else. After all, he was only three years old. Fortunately (or so I thought) the electronics department of the store we were in was directly adjacent to the women's clothing department, so I agreed to allow Shawn to stand in front of the televisions and watch something entertaining while I shopped only a few feet away from him. He was always a complacent and obedient child, so I certainly felt comfortable knowing he would surely not wander away. Every two or three minutes, I would look up and ascertain that he was still pleasantly enthralled with all the various channel offerings on the televisions lined against the way, and then I would continue with my browsing. I was never more than 15 or 20 feet away from him. In a moment, everything changed. I looked up and could not see Shawn standing where he had been. Without too much concern, I assumed he had simply stepped aside and was hidden by a rack of merchandise, so I calmly walked over to the electronics to retrieve him... but Shawn wasn't there! My eyes darted frantically around the department, but there was no sign of him. In moments, what had been a leisurely shopping trip turned into a full-fledged nightmare for this terrified young mother. After several minutes of calling out his name and searching in desperation for my little boy, I ran to a sales associate to plead for help. Security was called to the scene and an all-out search began for my son. Since I was nearly eight months pregnant at the time, a concerned employee insisted that I sit down in a nearby recliner (in the adjacent furniture department of the store) and allow the security officers and store employees to perform the search. After several agonizing minutes, a young woman appeared from around the corner with Shawn in her company, holding her hand and smiling widely. A few moments of questioning revealed that this well-meaning employee had seen him standing in front of the televisions, assumed he was lost, and gently convinced this trusting little soul to accompany her to the toy department on the far side of the store while she informed management of a lost child. Her intentions were honorable, and her gentle, soothing mannerisms gave Shawn the message it was safe to follow her. He innocently listened to the wrong voice that led him away from the safety of his mother's arms.
There are a multitude of voices out in the world calling to us. Most of them sound pleasant and non-threatening and their intentions are good (although, let's face it... some of them are certainly not honorable). They beckon us to follow and sometimes they lead us away from the safety of our loving Heavenly Father. But there is a stark difference between this situation and the one I experienced with my son: Our God always knows exactly where we are, and we are never outside His protection and rescue. If we are faithful to turn back to Him for guidance when we find ourselves in unfamiliar or unsafe territory, He is ready to call us back onto the right path that will lead us to our intended destination... an eternity in heaven with Him. We must, however, be able to recognize His voice above the din of the world and all its enticements. That ability comes from spending time in the Word and regular prayerful communication with Almighty God. His voice is always clear and distinct, never to be confused with those of the world.
It has been said, "If a distance exists between you and God, guess who moved?" Just as I had been faithfully checking on my son, it was Shawn who made the choice to follow someone else's leading... and it could have been truly disastrous. I praise God for protecting my boy... and for always watching us closely to call out to our hearts when we choose to follow the wrong voice. Do you know and recognize the voice of God in your life? The world will shout and call to you in thousands of voices every day, but that still, small voice of your Heavenly Father can only be heard by the obedient heart. CBN author and teacher Craig von Buseck says, "God wants to fellowship and communicate with us. That's two-way communication. Why? Because you can't really have a relationship unless there is true dialogue. How do we get to know a person? By communicating with them. By talking and listening. It's the same with our relationship with God. He talks, we listen. We talk, He listens."
"The steps of a good (righteous, born-again) person are ordered by the Lord, And
He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For
the Lord upholds him with His hand."
(Psalm 37:23-24)
"Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen
to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your
heart."
(Jeremiah 29:12-13)
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