Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
I am told that in the early days of automobiles in the USA, there was nothing but dirt roads. In many parts of rural America, there would be a sign that stated, “Choose your rut wisely. You will be in it for the next 10 miles.”
Some great advice for the traveler. After a rain shower, as we have experienced, vehicles traveling those roads would leave ruts. When the roads dried out the ruts remained as a reminder someone else had made this journey.
Let’s apply that same principle to our daily lives. We find ourselves faced with decision making as to which way to go or, do I do this or, do I do that. You fill in the “this” or “that.”
Making Choices
As society becomes more progressive it also becomes more difficult in our decision making due to so many choices. You go into a sit-down restaurant for a nice meal with a loved one. One look at the menu and immediately you are faced with a multitude of decisions. The menu is filled with choices and sometimes multiple pages show us the various options for what we thought would be a simple process of ordering a meal. Another rut to figure out.
We go shopping for a specific item and other items get in our way of making a decision on the one type of item we went into the shop for.
Sometimes, when faced with the chore of paying the bills we discover there isn’t enough money in the account to pay everything. We may do the bill shuffle routine by choosing to withhold payment until later. Sometimes this becomes a rut in our life.
When I built a house in Texas in the mid-1980’s I had to contend with the soil. Black gumbo soil can be very difficult to work with. When it is dry it is very hard and when it rains, it is very slippery. My pickup truck got stuck in the driveway one day. We had just had rain. I tried everything I knew to do but could not move and yet there was no rut – just the slick soil. A neighbor came by with his tractor and pulled out.
Prayer and Thinking
Some things in life do not present a rut. Just as my driveway didn’t have any ruts yet, the wet soil kept me from going where I wanted. Some application for life. You may not see the rut that looms until you are in the middle of the choice you have made. Then it takes ingenuity and prayer to get you out of the situation that has reared it’s ugly head in your life.
Yes, prayer and thinking. God has given us a brain and He expects us to use it. Now, if your mind is cluttered with everything else but focusing on how to manage better, then it’s time to ask God for His help in clearing out the muddiness of thinking. For some, it may be choosing a medication to help with the thought issues while for others, learning to take one thing at a time will work wonders.
Try. Really try. Think. Really think. Pray. Really pray.
