Detours...

This week's memory verse:
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me." Psalm 138:7

It's funny that this week's theme is "detours" since I've had one of my own. Back pain is not fun at all...my hip was out of place causing me a great deal of pain and that pain has been a distraction the last several days. So much so that I haven't felt like writing or even reading my Bible study. It's hard to concentrate on the joy of God's word when you are in pain...but isn't THAT just the time when we SHOULD be concentrating on it?

Last week we talked about our pilgrimage to God...that journey we are on every day that is sometimes filled with potholes. This morning I read the words of author Jeanne Zornes,  "Rocky road is not just a flavor of nutty IceCream. It's the nitty gritty of life. It's learning that getting where we want isn't always easy. Sometimes life's journey is rutted and rocky and rough. We're not where we want to be, and yet we don't see how things can get any better. God knows all about our despair."

We are not the only ones to have trouble. Psalm 107 talks about four different kinds of people in trouble.
* wanderers (verses 4-9)
* prisoners (verses 10-16)
* the sick (verses 17-20)
* the storm tossed (verses 23-30)

Do you find yourself in any of those categories? Well...right now, I guess I could be in the sick category since I have been dealing with pain this week. But, most of the time, I find myself in the wandering category. I wander around trying to find my place in this world and most of the time that wandering just leads me to hunger, thirst and exhaustion. I don't mean physical hunger and thirst...but the spiritual kind that can leave you feeling empty inside. THAT can cause real exhaustion.

God recognizes our wandering tendencies and provides for us when we find ourselves in that situation. He provides, but we have to accept and believe in what he gives.

Read the following verses for yourself about God's provisions for us:

* When we're lost and can't find our way - John 14:6
* When we're hungry - John 6:33,35
* When we're thirsty - John 4:10-14
* When we're exhausted - Matthew 11:28-30

Did you see the common thread between all those verses? JESUS! God provided Jesus to help us when we are lost and wandering. Even when we have found Jesus and believe and learn to get our nourishment from him...we still find ourselves wandering from time to time. That is ok...it is a reminder that we CAN'T go through this life alone! We CAN'T carry the weight of our burdens alone. We need our heavenly Father and Jesus by our side daily to get through.

Detours don't have to mean getting lost. Sometimes detours, which are caused by those rocky roads, can lead you through beautiful countryside you might never have seen had you not been forced to go that way. 

Dear God, I have wandered from the path you set me on so long ago. At times I have been hungry, thirsty and exhausted. Thank you for always being the one who satisfies me and gets me back on track! Thank you for allowing me to share my journey with others so that maybe they can find you and get back on track too! Amen.