Friends' Favorites - Shortcuts

"No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
John 14:5-6 NLT

I like shortcuts - not only on the road but also in word processing. I think Ctrl C and Ctrl V (copy and paste) and Ctrl Z (undo) are strokes of genius. (Pun intended.) I hated long division math problems in elementary school for the same reason. If I can get the same answer in 2 steps instead of 12, how is that wrong? I like any way that will get me there in less time, with less hassle, and the fewest stops.

I'm always looking for another way to get there or do it. I even make up and define my own shortcuts...which are great until the computer dies or gets upgraded and all the shortcuts are gone, or I find myself at a dead end street with no ability to turn around. Many are the tales of my grand and not-so-grand adventures brought about by being one of the most directionally-challenged people you'll ever meet.

That's why I'm SO glad Jesus proclaimed himself "The Way. " He's not A way - He is THE way. By His Grace, no getting off at the wrong exit. No tolls or trolls. There is a price, but HE paid it. No by-passes, no loop arounds, no shortcuts. The only way to the Father is through Christ - The Way, The Truth and The Life.

Prayer:

Father,
         Your Word tells us in Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. We don't want to walk in a way that seems right. We want to follow only Christ so we can come straight to You. Shine the Light of Your Truth on our paths. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

No Shortcuts - by request

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish.

Jonah 1:1-3 NIV

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

Jonah 3:1-2 NIV

Have you ever wondered why – when you’re serving the Lord – that you seem to get so far and then hit a wall and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to get past it? I’ve been asking God about that now for a while… I don’t think I was listening well. 

In the first verse of this prophet’s book, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. We all know that part of the story – Jonah ran. God caused a storm and prepared the fish to swallow Jonah, where he spent three days. In Jonah’s story, I guess I never paid much attention to the details before…somehow, I always thought the fish was just Jonah’s personal conveyance to Nineveh to make sure he got there. Go straight to Nineveh. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. However, the fish did not spew Jonah on the shore of Nineveh. Following Jonah’s exit from the Fish Express (after he repented for his disobedience), the Lord told him a second time – Go to Nineveh… Jonah still had to walk there.

I’m sure you’ve probably never done anything like this… Well, I have to admit if I don’t like something or the thought of doing something, I’m pretty much not gonna do it…or I’m gonna find a way to circumvent or shortcut it. Sometimes, I’m even guilty of just doing it “good enough for government work.” This great Truth has nailed me right between the eyes. I had to bring it to the Light. Confess it. Own it and then prayerfully beg for God’s strength and fortitude to make it happen. Well, I’m admitting it because Scripture tells me to confess my faults that I might be healed. And I want that. I need that.

Several years ago, God told me to scale down, simplify, get organized. I spent several weeks doing exactly that. I worked hard and I worked long. And I got down to the last closet and corner of one room, and I thought, I’ve done a lot. It’s SO much better than it was. That’s good enough. And I stopped. I did not complete what God instructed me to do. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve repeated that EXACTLY. Go through ALMOST everything – scale down, simplify, get organized… down to that last little bit and then I’m tired and I quit…and it’s like a fungus…it spreads all over again.

I realize now there are NO shortcuts with God when it comes to obedience. He didn’t ask me if I’d like to do it, He just said, Do it. And since He is the Alpha AND Omega, He doesn’t go for half-measures. And the Truth is, there were no shortcuts to the Cross that paid for my sin…

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive my spirit of rebellion and disobedience. Forgive me for the time lost when I could have been accomplishing what You planned for me to do according to Your Word. Help me, Father, to walk in absolute obedience to Your Word and Your perfect will for my life. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen

* Shortcuts

"No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

John 14:5-6 NLT

I like shortcuts - not only on the road, but also in word processing. I think Ctrl C and Ctrl V (copy and paste) are strokes of genius. (Pun intended.) I hated long division math problems in elementary school for the same reason. If I can get the same answer in 2 steps instead of 12, how is that wrong? I like any way that will get me there in less time, with less hassle, and the fewest stops. 

I'm always looking for another way to get there or do it. I even make up and define my own shortcuts...which are great until the computer dies or gets upgraded and all the shortcuts are gone, or I find myself at a dead end street with no ability to turn around. Many are the tales of my grand and not-so-grand adventures brought about by being one of the most directionally-challenged people you'll ever meet. 

That's why I'm SO glad Jesus proclaimed himself "The Way. " He's not A way - He is THE way. By His Grace, no getting off at the wrong exit. No tolls or trolls. There is a price, but HE paid it. No by-passes, no loop arounds, no shortcuts. The only way to the Father is through Christ - The Way, The Truth and The Life.

Prayer:

Father,

           Your Word tells us in Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. We don't want to walk in a way that seems right. We want to follow only Christ so we can come straight to You. Shine the Light of Your Truth on our paths. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen