The New Road

        As a young kid, we lived in the fork of two roads. The one smaller road was called “Bootjack Road.” When the two roads came together, they formed an imperfect “Y” and hence the name “bootjack” which was a real device for removing one's boots and usually placed near the entrance to your house. We never owned a “bootjack” but we did live on “bootjack” road. Roads sometimes have interesting names. I recall learning of one of the oldest roads in the world that was till around at that time and it was called the “Appian Way.” It was an important road in the Roman Empire that connected Rome with Brindisi in the southern part of Italy. Pictures of it are still around as is the road itself. Some roads become more famous than others. Certainly the Appian Way is more famous than Bootjack Road. Acts 9:3-4 says, “ And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” 

          The Apostle Paul's life was changed that day and it was a complete reversal. He was on the Road to Damascus when the Lord met him in a very dramatic way causing him to turn his direction completely around from hunting Christians to bring them back to be imprisoned and put to death, to becoming a Christian himself. We sometimes refer to Paul's encounter with the Lord as the “Damascus Road Experience.” The zeal of the devout Jew was turned from being against the believers of the way, to becoming one himself. No mention is made of the group that was with him except for the fact that they saw what happened to Paul. Paul, or Saul as he was called at the time, was stricken blind and had to be led to Damascus and the next few days were very dramatic for him but his zeal was not lost, but just redirected. God used Paul to write the letters from Romans to Philemon in our New Testament and some regard Paul as a good contender for being the author of the book of Hebrews, but it doesn't really say and there is probably a good reason for that. Today, we are all traveling our own roads of life. They might not be on the Appian Way, or Bootjack Road or even the Road to Damascus. We are, however, still moving on our own road. In the beginning of our journey, and in our lost estate, we are heading in our own direction until God steps in and changes it. We have our goals and objectives in life and try to fit them in to all of our friends, family and associates. We plan for our vocation in life and try to develop the talents that God has given us and for many, pursue making as much money as we can. When God steps into our lives, we find new plans, new desires, new friends, new peace and new hope. We didn't wake up one day and think, “I think I will get saved today.” It comes about when you least expect it and when the Lord puts someone in your life that shares the Gospel message with you. For some, there has been the acquaintance of the “Roman Road.” This one is not the Appian Way, but the plan of salvation that is laid out conveniently in the Book of Romans with such verses as Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8 and Romans 10:9-13. Many have it tucked away in their Bible, or marked so they can use it when God puts them together with someone who need to be acquainted with the new road. Roads usually go from one point to another, from one town to another town. They just don't exist in the middle of nowhere. Romans 3:23 shows us how each and every person is a sinner and then Romans 6:23 shows us that being a sinner, we are on the road to eternal punishment but then along comes Romans 5:8 and tells us that even while we were as sinful as we could be, Christ lived us and died for us and then Romans 10:9-10 reminds us that we can call upon the Lord for salvation. Someone probably shared that with you and now it is your turn to pass it on, maybe even today. Praise God for the Road of life and that He knows exactly where you are on it.