Take the Next Right: Unmarked Pavement Ahead

When my husband, Lee, and I went to Baltimore for the first time to look at homes, I thought our biggest question for God would be, “Which neighborhood do You want us to live in?” Turns out, I couldn’t figure out where one neighborhood ended and another began. No matter how diligently I studied the road signs, I could not figure out my boundaries.

Hello everyone and welcome to Take the Next Right. The series that literally takes the Scriptures to the streets and streets to the Scripture; to the highways and to the byways, all to see how God can strengthen our walk by using everyday road signs to guide our daily spiritual walk.

Watch Take the Next Right with Kim Crabill

Well, after a day with local realtors, Lee said, “Let’s venture out on our own tonight and go back and see some of the places we had seen.” Great idea, I thought. I was all in. As we were riding around, dusk was approaching and the country roads were becoming more and more country until there were no more markings on the road. Not what you’d expect in Baltimore, right? It is such a lovely area, but as lovely as it might be, we were surely in unfamiliar territory.

It was an adventure for sure. Of course, now we can laugh about it, but I’ll never forget Lee calling the realtor the next day and saying, “I don’t care where we live, we just want there to be markings on the road.” That house-hunting experience is your clue to today’s road sign. Any ideas? I bet you may have guessed it: “Unmarked Pavement Ahead.”

Doesn’t that fit perfectly? Have you ever noticed how sometimes when you look in the Bible, it shows you a clear path? “Don’t kill, be kind, help take care of orphans.” At other times, you go looking for clear practical help and end up thinking, “God, where are You? There seems to be no clear lines leading me to where I should go. What do I do now?”

If this has been you, or if this is you now, the first thing to know is that you’re not alone. We all have endless decisions to make every day. All of us, male and female, teenager and retired, CEOs and cashiers. Some decisions we can make on cruise control because they are hardly life-changing. Some are already decided by that day’s schedule or obligations. Then every once in a while, we’re hit with something outside the norm, like moving to a new city or a new job or tricky relationships.

They bring up all kinds of decisions, don’t they? There may be no exact Scripture to direct us in some form of these situations. So then, what do we do? How do we proceed on this unmarked pavement with confidence? I’ve learned to first do a heart check. I want to make sure I’m at least going in the right direction. I love David’s explanation in Psalms 25:4 and 5: “Show me the right path, O Lord. Point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by Your truth and teach me for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You.”

With that prayer, David shows humility by calling out to God and pretty much saying, “Hey, I’m lost here. I’m not sure which way to go. I just hit an unmarked road and I’m not sure what to do next.”

Can you imagine praying such a prayer? Like, “I’m not sure what to do with this teenager. I’m not sure what to do in this marriage. Do I sell this house when the interest rates go down or not? Do I befriend this person who everyone is warning me against?”

In humility, David declares, “I really need you, God.” And then, let’s not overlook his conclusion. “All day long,” he says, “I put my hope in you.”

We never know when the next turn we make or the next telephone call we receive will put us on unmarked pavement. It could happen at any time. Like David, we want to stay connected with God all day long, always ready to receive his instructions, warnings, and encouragement. Then we too can walk through life’s daily decisions with hope.

Well, friends, thank you for joining me as we continue to look at how God can use everyday road signs to guide our daily spiritual lives. Remember, if you’re on unmarked pavement today, you’re not alone. Just call out to God. You may feel lost, but He’s never lost sight of you. I look forward to seeing you next time right here on Strengthen Your Walk.

Watch Now!