This wasn't my normal way of doing things, but I had traveled safely on that road earlier in the day.

Additionally, a road barricade was positioned so that my car could squeeze past, so I headed down this dimly lit section of road. The next thing I knew, without touching the brakes, my car came to an abrupt stop.

The front end of my vehicle was buried in a large pile of construction dirt. Luckily, there was no damage to the car, but I sure felt foolish. What if there had been a large hole in the road?

God has given us many inspired examples in His Bible; and if we do not apply these lessons, we tend to repeat the mistakes of the past. Consider two lessons that are necessary for staying on the right path.

Don't Ignore a Clear Sign!

God led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness. He led them each day by a pillar of cloud and each night by a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21-22). This was an obvious sign of who was leading them, and yet the nation of Israel asked Moses why he had brought them out to die in the wilderness (14:11).

How could Israel ignore such a visible sign? Well, the road sign that I encountered was clearly visible, but I also found it easy to ignore it. The key is to keep our eyes on Christ, for if we lose our vision, we will perish! (Proverbs 29:18, King James Version).

Stop at a Barricade!

A barricade's purpose is to obstruct our passage. Both God and man can set up barricades to stop us from going down the wrong path. When we try to go around a blockade, we will eventually run into obstacles (as I quickly found out).

Some barricades may be temporary. One biblical example is when the Israelites became barricaded at the Red Sea, with the Egyptian army pursuing them. In this case, God removed their barrier by dividing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15-22). Unless God removes our barricade, it is wise not to travel on that road!

We should strongly consider the way that our Father has called us to walk. In following Christ, remember to watch for His clear signs of direction and never go around the barricades that He has set in place. As spiritual Israel, it is vital that we stay on the right path! UN