Every pastor knows what I mean when I say, you never finish a message, you just have to quit at some point. Knowing that the mind can absorb only what the seat of the britches can endure you just have to stop– leaving much unsaid. Sometimes I think I ought to send out a sermon summation every Monday morning to wrap things up. In a few instances a retraction might even be in order–LOL.

By now you’re probably wondering what this is all about. Well, although it’s Thursday, this is something I might have added on Monday had I not been busy with other matters. Last Sunday morning I preached on the subject of “Getting on Track”, from Psalm 119:59-60. By way of introduction I related an experience I had about 50 years ago to the day. That unpleasant experience had to do with getting lost in the Ozarks while deer hunting. It ain’t like Texas folks! The rugged area where I was hunting was nothing but hills and hollars, and dense forest.

As I said last week, ” The surest way to get lost is to think you can’t”. That describes exactly what I was thinking. I had spent my life hunting and fishing in the Ozarks and knew all the “tricks” of an outdoors-man, but on that particular day I got turned around, lost my sense of direction, and spent several hours getting back to camp– long after dark! Naturally I lied to my hunting buddies and pretended all was well. You couldn’t have paid me enough money to get me to admit that I had been lost. But I learned some things from that experience.

If you’ve ever been lost in the woods, you know that strange things begin to happen. You lose your sense of direction, pick up speed, and go in circles. It’s almost like someone is chasing you, everything starts to look the same, and you panic.

I could make a lot of applications out of this, but today I want you to think about it in the context of the confused condition of our country. It should be easy to see a parallel. For one thing, the more we observe world conditions the more we realize that we don’t actually have a clue as to what is actually happening. We see the heads of state, policies, etc. but we don’t see the shadowy figures behind the scenes. We see the puppets, but those pulling the strings are hidden from view. Well, that’s my take on the situation, yours might vary.

What we do agree on is this— the world is in a mess and it’s getting more difficult and dangerous all the time. Just about everybody believes that something big and bad is about to happen. Voices from every direction are urging us to prepare. Some are known as “Preppers” and the length to which they go to prepare themselves is amazing. They are obsessed with the idea and do a lot of weird things. I’ve often thought I would rather be dead than to “live” like they plan to survive. Who wants to live in a hole in the ground eating prepackaged food ten years old? If I can’t ever see another sunrise or sunset I’m ready for the pearly gates.

Now I believe in being prepared as much as anyone, but panic is dangerous. There have been many roll-over car wrecks caused by someone who panicked, over compensated, and jerked the steering wheel so violently that they turned the car over. I fear that is exactly what a lot of people are about to do. Rather than “Keep Calm and Carry On” ( you might want to Goggle that) they go to the extreme and end up doing more harm than good. In my mind there are “rabbit trails” leading off in every direction right now, but I will try to stay on track and wrap this up.

There comes a time when, after reasonable preparations have been made, we must say enough is enough and leave it in God’s hands. Regardless of how hard you try, there are some things you cannot change or control. My advice is,keep your focus on doing the will of God and trust Him with the outcome. He is never surprised, confused, indifferent, or helpless. He either causes or allows everything to happen. He has His way in the whirlwind, and the king’s heart is in His hands. What appears to be the most awful thing that could happen might be exactly what we need to get us back on track as a nation. Stop trying to understand all the ways of God and start trusting Him to do what is right. Remember, God’s will is always right, best and safest. He knows what we need better than we do.

If you personally are off track, lost in the woods of the world, may I remind you that you need a reference point, a landmark, something  to guide you. And the Bible is exactly that. Return to the “old paths” and take every step in the light of God’s Word and you will find your way through the journey of life. The safest place you can possibly be is in the center of God’s will. There you will find peace, rather than panic. Think about it!

I recently came across this song by Sarah Doudney.
 It was first sung at the funeral of Charles Spurgeon:

THE MASTER HATH COME
The Master hath come, and He calls us to follow
The track of the footprints He leaves on our way;
Far over the mountain and through the deep hollow,
The path leads us on to the mansions of day:
The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him,
Who march ‘neath Christ’s banner, His own little band;
We love Him and seek Him, we long to be near Him,
And rest in the light of His beautiful land.

The Master hath called us; the road may be dreary
And dangers and sorrows are strewn on the track;
But God’s Holy Spirit shall comfort the weary;
We follow the Savior and cannot turn back;
The Master hath called us, though doubt and temptation
May compass our journey, we cheerfully sing:
Press onward, look upward, through much tribulation;
The children of Zion must follow the King.

The Master hath called us, in life’s early morning,
With spirits as fresh as the dew on the sod:
We turn from the world, with its smiles and its scorning,
To cast in our lot with the people of God:
The Master hath called us, His sons and His daughters,
We plead for His blessing and trust in His love;
And through the green pastures, beside the still waters,
He’ll lead us at last to His kingdom above.