Heed the Warnings

Last week during Bible Study at the group home, I found myself on a bit of a soapbox. (I know that is not AT ALL hard to imagine. :-)

I was talking to two of the girls, H & A, about a series of very poor decisions that had made the previous week which resulted in 24 hours in juvenile detention. More than their disobedience and rebellion, I was concerned with their lack of judgment. It is a long story I am not going to go into here, but they had put themselves in a very dangerous situation. I am particularly close to these two and I was saddened by the risks they took with their personal safety.

As I talked with them, I reminded them of truth that I knew they knew. And, of course, I asked them the age old question: What were you thinking?

They blamed peer pressure, not thinking and getting caught up the moment. We've all been there. And I was left wondering how we can train ourselves (and our children) to LOOK for the caution signs and heed them. I now experience is the best teacher sometimes, but I love wisdom and long to impart it in the lives of young people so they can avoid some of the pitfalls, bumps and bruises along the way.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. I Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

They admitted that there were many 'exit ramps' they could have taken...places they could have made U-turns...they just chose not to. They kept going. And there were consequences.

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Proverbs 22:3 (NIV)

I have been studying Isaiah 30 this week. It is a beautiful picture of God's stern warnings regarding our rebelliousness and its consequences, followed by his promises of grace:

"Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.
Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me—The very thing you've been unwilling to do.

Cry for help and you'll find it's grace and more grace. The moment he hears, he'll answer. Just as the Master kept you alive during the hard times, he'll keep your teacher alive and present among you. Your teacher will be right there, local and on the job, urging you on whenever you wander left or right: "This is the right road. Walk down this road."
Isaiah 30:15-16, 20-21 The Message

What a gracious, loving Father!