Can It Be Any More Clear?

On July 28 the Saline County Road Department began replacing/improving drainage under the road two hundred yards north of our house. They placed a road block and detour signs at the intersection just south of the house. The closure and detour are clearly marked.

Deana and I are surprised by the number of people who drive through the road block, past the house, and stop at the construction. They have to stop because the road is out. Just like the sign says. But they have to see for themselves. "Surely the road is not closed for me." "Surely I can get through even though nobody else can."

I cannot say that I've never done the same thing. In 1980 my Dad took my sister and me to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. We set out from Dardanelle, Arkansas on a Sunday afternoon. The plan was to drive straight through the night and arrive in Yellowstone Monday morning.

The sunrise over the Rocky Mountains was awesome. I'd never seen anything like it. It was the last week of May but we saw snow-capped peaks and even piles of snow along the road.

Then we came to one of the passes - I can't remember which one - and we had planned to use it as a shortcut to our destination. The pass went through some of the highest elevation in the mountains. At the intersection of our road and the road leading through the pass was a sign that said the road was closed because of snow. No through traffic.

The road had been clear so far. It looked clear as far as we could see. Cars were coming from and going onto the road. Being from Arkansas, we figured the road crews had just neglected to remove the sign from earlier in the year.

So off we go through the pass. Sure enough, the road was closed several miles into the pass. We drove through snow and ice thinking it couldn't get worse. It did. We had to turn around.

Just like the people who drive past our house, back up to our driveway, and turn around. And we watch them all and shake our heads. "Can't they read the signs? Do they think the signs don't apply to them?"

Somewhere in Colorado in May 1980 people were thinking the same thing about us.

This reminds me of a song Greater Vision sings called "It Means Just What It Says." You can watch it here.

God gives us clear direction in the Bible yet many people don't bother to read it. Those who do still fail to apply it consistently. It's as if we don't believe God.

I guess that's true. I want to be a follower of Christ who consistently puts God's word into practice. In the book of James you'll find these words: Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (James 1:22).

We should do what it says because it means what is says. Can it be any more clear?