How To Avoid A Train Wreck
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3: 21-26)
A young man, who had worked for years on the railroad, wanted a job as a signalman for the railroad. For his interview, he was told to meet the inspector at the signal box. The inspector asked him, “What would you do if you realized that two trains were heading toward each other on the same track?” The young man said, “Well, that’s easy. I would switch the points for one of the trains.” “The inspector then asked, “What if the lever broke?” The young man said, “Then I’d jump down out of the signal box and I’d use the manual lever over there.” Next, the inspector said, “What if the lever had been struck by lightning?” The young man said, “Then, I would run to the signal box and phone the next signal box to let them know what was happening.” The inspector continued on, “What if the phone was busy?” The young man said, “Well, in that case, I would rush down out of the signal box and use the public emergency phone at the crossing up there.” Then, the inspector said, “What would you do if the public emergency phone had been vandalized?” The young man said, “Oh, well, in that case I would run into town and get my uncle.” That answer puzzled the inspector. So, he asked, “Why in the world would you go get your uncle?” The young man answered, “That’s simple. Because he’s never seen a train crash before.”
Too many people today feel that their life is headed toward a crash. Their life feels like two trains headed directly toward each other and there is really nothing they can do to stop it from happening. For them, the proverbial crash seems inevitable. The collision may be a personality conflict in a marriage or at work. It may be a financial crash or an employment crash. Whatever it is, life just seems to be off track. Maybe that’s how you feel today? Maybe you feel that something is missing in your life and you just don’t know what it is. Is there a way out? Is there any hope? Is there any way to stop the crash before it happens? The wonderful thing about walking with the Lord is that you don’t have to keep rolling down the same old track. Everyday God gives us a new opportunity to start over.
That’s what Jeremiah remembers in the passage above. Throughout the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, is in the dumps. He had an extremely unpopular ministry because God had given him instructions to urge his countrymen to surrender to the invading king of Babylon. You can just imagine how well that concept went over. In fact, his preaching nearly cost him his life. He was ridiculed, thrown into a well and became the laughing stock of the nation. In Lamentations he comes to the point of feeling abandoned, hopeless, angry and in total despair. Life was crashing in all around him. The turning point of the book and in Jeremiah’s heart occurs in the passage above. Jeremiah finds hope and a new direction for his life by remembering several characteristics of God:
“Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed” The first thing Jeremiah remembers is God’s great love. He thinks to himself, “As bad as things are, without the love of God it would be much worse.” Please know this: God’s great love is aimed specifically at you and it is exactly what you need when the world comes crashing in. During every moment of every day, in everything you do God’s love will sustain you. Now you might think that doesn’t really change my circumstances very much. But think of it this way - If it weren’t for God, and for God’s love, no matter how bad things are in your life right now, they would be much worse without the Lord. Remind yourself of the sustaining power of his love.
“for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.” Notice the word “compassions” is plural. Jeremiah finds hope not in God’s “compassion.” But in his “compassions.” The word compassion means “to be moved in the heart out of love for another.” His compassions for you are like breakers of waves continually crashing and rolling into the shoreline. One wave of compassion after another – without ceasing. Everyday when you open your eyes, God has a new fresh supply of His never ending compassion to dispense into your life. No matter how dark the night – in the morning he will fill your heart afresh with His compassions.
“great is Your faithfulness.” The next thing Jeremiah remembers is God’s great faithfulness. He remembers that everything God says and does is certain. He is 100% reliable, 100% of the time. He does not fail. He will not forget. He cannot falter. He will not change. Now will He disappoint. He says what He means and means what He says and therefore does everything He says He will do. His faithfulness is greater than the pressures you are facing. He will not abandon or forsake you in the midst of your difficulty.
Feel like your life is off track? Headed towards a train wreck? Remember His great love will sustain and protect you. Remember His compassions will never fail you. And remember His faithfulness will never allow Him to abandon you. Do these things and you’ll be back on the right track.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
A young man, who had worked for years on the railroad, wanted a job as a signalman for the railroad. For his interview, he was told to meet the inspector at the signal box. The inspector asked him, “What would you do if you realized that two trains were heading toward each other on the same track?” The young man said, “Well, that’s easy. I would switch the points for one of the trains.” “The inspector then asked, “What if the lever broke?” The young man said, “Then I’d jump down out of the signal box and I’d use the manual lever over there.” Next, the inspector said, “What if the lever had been struck by lightning?” The young man said, “Then, I would run to the signal box and phone the next signal box to let them know what was happening.” The inspector continued on, “What if the phone was busy?” The young man said, “Well, in that case, I would rush down out of the signal box and use the public emergency phone at the crossing up there.” Then, the inspector said, “What would you do if the public emergency phone had been vandalized?” The young man said, “Oh, well, in that case I would run into town and get my uncle.” That answer puzzled the inspector. So, he asked, “Why in the world would you go get your uncle?” The young man answered, “That’s simple. Because he’s never seen a train crash before.”
Too many people today feel that their life is headed toward a crash. Their life feels like two trains headed directly toward each other and there is really nothing they can do to stop it from happening. For them, the proverbial crash seems inevitable. The collision may be a personality conflict in a marriage or at work. It may be a financial crash or an employment crash. Whatever it is, life just seems to be off track. Maybe that’s how you feel today? Maybe you feel that something is missing in your life and you just don’t know what it is. Is there a way out? Is there any hope? Is there any way to stop the crash before it happens? The wonderful thing about walking with the Lord is that you don’t have to keep rolling down the same old track. Everyday God gives us a new opportunity to start over.
That’s what Jeremiah remembers in the passage above. Throughout the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, is in the dumps. He had an extremely unpopular ministry because God had given him instructions to urge his countrymen to surrender to the invading king of Babylon. You can just imagine how well that concept went over. In fact, his preaching nearly cost him his life. He was ridiculed, thrown into a well and became the laughing stock of the nation. In Lamentations he comes to the point of feeling abandoned, hopeless, angry and in total despair. Life was crashing in all around him. The turning point of the book and in Jeremiah’s heart occurs in the passage above. Jeremiah finds hope and a new direction for his life by remembering several characteristics of God:
“Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed” The first thing Jeremiah remembers is God’s great love. He thinks to himself, “As bad as things are, without the love of God it would be much worse.” Please know this: God’s great love is aimed specifically at you and it is exactly what you need when the world comes crashing in. During every moment of every day, in everything you do God’s love will sustain you. Now you might think that doesn’t really change my circumstances very much. But think of it this way - If it weren’t for God, and for God’s love, no matter how bad things are in your life right now, they would be much worse without the Lord. Remind yourself of the sustaining power of his love.
“for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.” Notice the word “compassions” is plural. Jeremiah finds hope not in God’s “compassion.” But in his “compassions.” The word compassion means “to be moved in the heart out of love for another.” His compassions for you are like breakers of waves continually crashing and rolling into the shoreline. One wave of compassion after another – without ceasing. Everyday when you open your eyes, God has a new fresh supply of His never ending compassion to dispense into your life. No matter how dark the night – in the morning he will fill your heart afresh with His compassions.
“great is Your faithfulness.” The next thing Jeremiah remembers is God’s great faithfulness. He remembers that everything God says and does is certain. He is 100% reliable, 100% of the time. He does not fail. He will not forget. He cannot falter. He will not change. Now will He disappoint. He says what He means and means what He says and therefore does everything He says He will do. His faithfulness is greater than the pressures you are facing. He will not abandon or forsake you in the midst of your difficulty.
Feel like your life is off track? Headed towards a train wreck? Remember His great love will sustain and protect you. Remember His compassions will never fail you. And remember His faithfulness will never allow Him to abandon you. Do these things and you’ll be back on the right track.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 3:56 PM
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