What Leads To No Where?

Our dog, Jack, and I were taking a walk around the neighborhood as we often do in an afternoon. There are wide sidewalks and a park nearby. Jack happily trots and sniffs as we go along our way. On this particular afternoon a loud boom was heard in the distance. Jack stopped and stared ahead, nose twitching, body suddenly tense. Like most dogs, Jack doesn’t like loud sounds like fireworks and other unidentifiable loud sounds. I stood with him, watching, wondering what he would do. After several moments I said, “Jack, you want to turn around?” He looked at me and headed back in the direction in which we had come. He seemed to give no further thought to the loud boom. He just trotted along pausing and sniffing, enjoying the moments as if nothing had happened to disturb him earlier. It was like he knew — what’s the point in standing and worrying? Doing that is going no where.

Jesus said the same thing to His followers in Matthew 6:27 when He asks the question, Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? (NLT) We know the answer. Staring at what causes us anxiety, fretting over something we can do nothing about, worrying about the unknown, gets us no where. On the other hand, when troubling situations creep unwelcome into our lives, turning to look at Jesus, choosing to contemplate His words, walking along in another peaceful, trusting direction, brings a calm assurance that nothing takes Jesus by surprise. Therefore, all will be well.

Worry will not add one moment to our lives. It can take away plenty. It can increase our heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in lack of inner peace. It can snatch away, in an unsuspecting moment, the joy we had the minute before. It can eat away any courage we knew we had, reducing us to cowardly behavior, causing self-loathing which is always designed by demonic forces who never want us walking in the peace of God. Worry takes away tranquility, leaving us standing mute in disbelief as we stare frozen in fear of what’s out there.

In lovely contrast, choosing to go to Jesus brings instant hope. When we look to Him, we are immediately reminded that we don’t know but He does. We can’t see past the next minute, but He sees into all our tomorrows. We may or may not be able to conquer what scares us, but Jesus is Lord over all the earth at all times, most assuredly able to conquer anything at all.

We all have our “deer in the headlights” moments. Let’s encourage each other to choose to turn from the fear and walk in another direction. Walk with Jesus, the One Who can and will handle all our troubles for us. He will be our peace in any storm. He will be our comfort in troubled waters. He will take our hand and lead us back into the boat named — Trust In Him. Life is full of frightful moments but none of those instances need dominate our steps. Choose to listen intently as you take Jesus’ hand. You will hear Him say, This is the way, walk in it (Isaiah 30:21 NLT).