Around and Around

One ride I've never been a big fan of is the Merry-go-Round.  There are several reasons for my dislike of the ride. The fact that the animals on the ride all appear angry tops my list.  As a little kid my fear of these animals was right up there with my fear of clowns.  If they just had horses on the ride I think I'd been alright, but they throw in all kinds of other animals, like lions and tigers and bears, oh my.  I was at an outdoor mall that has a Merry-go-round with a rabbit all saddled and ready to ride.  Tell me that's not a nightmare waiting to happen.  The thought of being chased by an angry rabbit is frightening, good grief I might find it hard to sleep tonight.  Another reason I'm not a big fan of the ride, is the ride itself; there is nothing to do except sit there going around and around.  The first couple of laps may not be so bad, but it certainly doesn't take long for it to get pretty old.  The only thing that makes the around and around bearable is the really cool music they play!  So, why am I making such a big deal about a silly ride I don't like?  Well, I've had a young guy on my heart who is discouraged because he said he feels like his life is stuck on a Merry-go-Round.  If you know the ride you know how he feels.  Another disheartened individual described his life as a stationary bike, he was expending a great deal of energy but getting nowhere.  I have also had others describe life as a treadmill or a car spinning its wheels, I think you get the idea.  A classic Biblical example of this is in Deuteronomy 1:3 which states: "It is eleven days journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barrnea."  This is an astounding verse because it speaks of an eleven day journey that took Israel forty years.  Now that's a Merry-go-Round.  God had not intended for Israel to wander for forty years, yet that is what they brought upon themselves because of their own disobedience and rebellion.  They tested God and refused to go into His promised land and God pretty much said fine, you can just wander.  We best learn from Israel's mistake.  Remember God knows where you are, and He doesn't just have you wandering around until you die.  It may appear to you that He has got you going nowhere, but rest assured that isn't His way.  He is sovereign in your life and desires to bring meaning and purpose to every single day.  Don't ditch the ride just yet.  If you set your heart to learn and mature, to trust and obey and to walk in faithfulness to the Lord, He will be faithful in guiding you.  I pray you will soon look back and see that you were not on a Merry-go-Round after all, but moving in the Lord's will at His perfect pace, while being transformed into the glorious image of Jesus.