The Fork in the Road

 

          We have all come to "forks in the road."   I used to live right on the fork of two roads, U. S. Route 20 and Bootjack road.  When you came around the curve, you had to decide which way you would go.  These represent times when we can either turn to the right or to the left.  We can follow the road down one route or we can decide to take another.  These forks can exist both physically and spiritually.  The physical ones are easy to see and we usually have a road map to direct us either to the right or to the left.  Spiritual forks may not be as obvious but they still exist.  There is always that little phrase, "What if..."  What if we had taken this course in our life instead of the one we actually took.  Where would we be?  What would we be doing?  Would I be working in a different job or even living in a different country?  These are all part of the big "what if" questions that can crop us.  The Psalmist uses the same example in the following verses.  Psalm 124:1-3 says, "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:  Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:"  

       If the Lord had not been on their side when they had gone into this particular battle, then they would have been consumed and probably non existent.  That's a big "what if."  Have you ever thought where you would be if the Lord was not with you?  Were there certain events that occurred in your life where the Lord's presence was very obvious?  After thinking a moment about our lives, it doesn't take long for us to realize that if the Lord was not with us, there would have been a different outcome during a number of crisis moments in our lives.  If the Lord had not been with you, you may have died in an accident.  If the Lord had not been with you, your job might be quite different and you might find yourself in a very dangerous situation.  If the Lord was not with you there might be many things that might now be very different.  The fact, however, is that the Lord is with us.  Hebrews 13:5 says that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  The Lord is by our side.  He is strengthening.  He is protecting and He is guiding.  Yes, we can think about the "what if's" in life but we can also think about the "Since the Lord is with me..." times also.  Praise God that He is your guide.