Walter Knight told of an old Scottish woman who went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed. 

     One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. "Why do you toss the stick more than once?" someone asked. "Because," replied the woman, "it keeps pointing to the LEFT, and I want to take the road on the RIGHT." She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air until it pointed the way she wanted to go! 

     How can WE know which way to go, spiritually?  

     FIRST: We must UNDERSTAND that “the way of man is NOT in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jer 10:23).  In fact, “there is a way that SEEMS right to a man, But its end is the way of DEATH” (Prov 14:12; 16:25). 

     THIRD: We must MAKE a CHOICE (see Josh 24:15).  God has revealed the way that we should go in His Word (2 Tim 3:16-17).  We, however, must CHOOSE to follow His directions.  Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt 7:13-14).  

     One of the biggest obstacles in following God’s will is our own SELF-WILL.  We must have the attitude of Christ when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane as He faced the cross: “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not MY will, but YOURS, be done."  We must not seek to manipulate His will to fit our own selfish desires, but “crucify” our own self-will and submit completely to the will of God.  

     It is God’s will that you and I be saved (1 Tim 2:4).  He has made salvation possible through the GIFT of His Son, Jesus (Acts 4:12).  The Way of salvation is through faith in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), repentance from sin (Acts 17:30-31), confession of Christ (Romans 10:9-10), and baptism (immersion) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).  It is also God’s will that we continue to follow Him all the days of our lives (1 John 1:7).  

     Provision has been made.  The directions are clear.  The choice is yours! So, now, "which road shall I take?" 

         There is no way that I will be in line to see the new picture “Snakes On The Plane”. I don’t know what it is rated. I really don’t care. It has snakes in it, and that’s enough for me. I have this thing about snakes. Several years ago, I was golfing with my youngest son, and noticed warning signs scattered around the golf course about rattlesnakes, but I figured the snakes knew about the signs and would avoid the people. In short I didn’t pay them all that much attention. After my son had lost several golf balls, when he hit one into a clump of pampas grass I was bound and determined to save a dollar, so I went looking for it. I found it, along with a nasty looking and sounding rattlesnake. I jumped down the incline and took off running just as the snake sprung from it’s coil of death. My son was rolling with laughter. He told me the snake missed me by inches. I hate snakes. As well it should be noted that a son who laughs at my near demise doesn’t rate real high on my list either…

     In retrospect the snake was simply dong what snakes do. If I wouldn’t have been running for my life, I suppose I could have whacked him with my 5-wood, but the way I swing a golf club I may have ended up in a worse situation. From what I hear rattlesnakes are fairly easy to kill. The key is that you have to spot them first and know about how far the snake will spring out when it  does strike. The greatest danger is coming up on a rattlesnake that hasn’t been detected. Snakes don’t like surprises.

    In the book of 2 Chronicles, chapter 32 the story of King Hezekiah is set forth. It seems that Hezekiah was laid low, and in a sense “bitten” by a hidden temptation. He wasn’t seduced by an obvious or overt evil. Rather he allowed a measure of pride and self-reliance to burrow inside and it brought a blight to his life and career. While he should have placed his trust and confidence in the God of Heaven for protection from those that would seek to do him harm, he sought safety through alliance with idolatrous individuals (see vs. 25 & 32). “A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23).

      “...God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:6-7). It is really sad that Hezekiah had his reign ruined by his arrogance. We need to learn to be on guard ourselves lest we allow pride/arrogance to build up within us, and we give sway to “haughty eyes” (Prov. 6:17). When such occurs it opens the door to a plethora of other problems.

     Thinking back to that day on the golf course, I should have paid attention to the warnings signs. Pay attention to the warning signs in your life. In so doing you will be less prone to be “bitten”. “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” (Proverbs 3:7).

By W. Bruce Evans; via The Bulwark

Our society seems to be consumed with self.  The "me" generation we heard so much about has aged to become the most influential segment of society.  So many of the products and services which are popular today are those which are aimed at improving the individual.  The "self-help" books and seminars intended to improve self-image have been embraced by nearly everyone.  "Infomercials" abound on television for all sorts of products so individuals can not only stay healthy but also develop that physique which allows one to be proud of the way he/she looks.  While many of these things are, in reality, harmless enough in and of themselves, there is a darker side to emphasis on self.

As a nation we have become obsessed with our "rights" with little or no regard as to their effects upon others.  Many of the ills which plague our community are rooted in self.  You name it -- theft, murder, immorality, etc. -- while often blamed on environment are

really rooted in self.

The problem of self is neither new nor peculiar to our time.  From Eden to the present the chief cause of sin has been self and selfishness.  It is at the root of all sin.  "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." (James 1:13-15).

The proper attitude toward self is a sign of maturity.  We can somewhat condone selfishness in a child because he does not know better but immaturity and ignorance are never excuses for an adult, especially one who claims to be a Christian, to be selfish in his attitudes and actions (Acts 17:30).

The Bible has a lot to say about self and how one is to view himself in relation to God and others.  If a person would follow its teachings, his attitude toward self would be what it should be and many of his problems would be solved and pressures eased.  When one follows the course of the world and gives undue emphasis to self, he not only adds to his problems now but also places his soul in peril.  Note the following problems one can expect if he overly focused on self?

Self-conceit.  This is an exaggerated estimation of one's own ability or powers, an overconfidence in self. When one is conceited, he is full of pride. God hates pride and resists the proud (Proverbs 16:18 and James 4:6).  We are not to think too highly of self (Romans 12:3).

Self-willed.  One who is self-willed is stubborn, set on having his own way.  One such person was Jonah.  He knew the will of God but fled so he would not have to do it.  The Jews who stoned Stephen were identified as "stiff-necked people" (Acts 7:51-53).  That means that they stubbornly clung to their own will rather than submitting to the will of God.

Self-indulgence.  This is giving free course to one's own passions and inclinations.  Self-indulgence is a sin which leads one from God.  Demas, who had once been a faithful disciple and a dedicated co-worker of the apostle Paul, had forsaken the Lord and the apostle because he "loved" the present world and indulged himself in its pleasures (2 Timothy 4:10).

Self-righteousness.  This is being righteous in one's own eyes.  It was a trait of the Pharisees (Luke 18:9 -14).  It prompted them to accuse Jesus of eating with sinners (Matthew 9:10-12).  They could see that everyone else were sinners but they could not see their own sins.  To be pleasing to God, one must humbly acknowledge his own sinfulness.

Self-satisfaction.  This is being pleased with who and what one is. The world seeks to instill this attitude in everyone.  Great care is often taken so that nothing will damage the self-image of children.  The satisfied person has reached his goal. He has no other worlds to conquer, and no greater work to do.  His journey can only be downward.  On the other hand, one cannot establish bounds for the person who is not satisfied with himself and his accomplishments.  We need to be like Paul -- always seeking to be better, always striving to do more (Philippians 3:13-14).

Do not allow these problems to exist in your life. Let the Word of God be your guide and permit it to mold you into the image of Christ by heeding his command in Matthew 6:24, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

Gene Taylor (edited,  dpm)