Have you ever slipped?

When we were first married, Valorie and I had a little Subaru four-wheel-drive wagon. It didn’t have much power, but it was perfect for taking us up into the mountains. One weekend we were going backpacking with some friends in the Desolation Wilderness area. These steep mountains and deep valleys with beautiful lakes and streams running through them are accessible only by a tiny one lane dirt and gravel road… with no guard rails. I had been there before, so I was pointing out items of particular interest as we buzzed along. Valorie would say, “You drive, I’ll look!” One vista was just too tempting though, and I looked down the steep ravine and pointed out the sights literally hundreds of feet below. Twenty-five years later, my heart still beats harder when I remember the feeling of one of the back tires going off the edge as I jerked the car back onto the road. A fraction of a second longer in the same direction and we would have been lost…

What does it mean to “almost slip”? Doesn’t it really mean that you started to slip, but you caught yourself before any significant damage was done? In Psalm 73, Asaph confesses that he had “almost slipped”. It’s a lament about what distracted him, diverted his eyes, and started him in the wrong direction. Today we’re grateful for the brutal honesty of this servant of the Lord who had the courage to admit the dangerous direction his heart and mind were headed, into the wilderness of desolation. It’s a cautionary tale that ends well, but not before a few twists and turns to make us stop and consider our own direction.

Read Psalm 73 a couple of times and see if you can identify with Asaph. It’s good to know we have a Savior and who promises to be near to us. I don’t know what caused me to turn the wheel when I did, but we’re here today because of it. This Sunday we’ll celebrate communion—we’re commanded to “examine” ourselves and to make course corrections as the Lord guides us. Yes, the way is hard, and the road is narrow, but the destination is worth it! Keep on!

Eyes on Christ,

Kurt Jones

P.S. Remember to pray for the Zimbabwe team. By now, they’ve arrived and are working hard serving the precious children of Hands of Hope.H