Warning Signs

This past summer Diana and I had the opportunity to visit Montana and Yellowstone National park with some friends - it was incredible. It was a very beautiful place with awesome views and incredible wildlife. It was great to be surrounded by God’s amazing creation.

One day we hiked along the banks of a roaring river. The runoff from snow melt was still very high so a lot of water was flowing down the river. This particular part of the river was funneled through a very narrow part of a rock canyon so the water was RAGING through and you could hear and feel the power of all that water pounding over big boulders and deep pools within the canyon. It was truly an awesome sight.

As you would expect on a hiking trail, there were no guardrails. There were several places that if you weren’t careful, one wrong step and you could fall into the raging river and be swept down the canyon never to be seen again.

While there were no guardrails, occasionally we did come across warning signs along the trail. Warning signs on trails are common. Often these signs are because the forest service doesn’t want multiple trails going every which way, confusing people, or they don’t want erosion occurring in certain areas. Other common signs you come across on trails are to warn hikers of hazards such as falling rock, steep drop-offs or perhaps warnings that you are in an area frequented by bears or mountain lions.

On a couple of occasions we came to a place on the trail where it appeared people had taken a shortcut. Many of you hikers know about switchbacks. Often people will forge a new trail that cuts off several minutes of hiking and makes the hike shorter. Often when you are approaching one of these areas you will see a warning sign that says something to the effect of “stay on the trail”. As I thought about the “short cuts” that previous hikers had made I thought, why didn’t the maker of the trail just make the trail shorter to begin with. Why make the trail wind around what seems like aimlessly when they could have just made it more direct to begin with. It dawned on me that I am safer if I stay on the trail and not take these “short cuts” that others have forged. Sure it may take a little longer to get to the destination but it’s not as steep, it’s less rocky, it keeps me a safe distance from the steep drop-offs, it warns me of possible hazards I may encounter.

God’s warning signs are no different. We may see them through our human perspective as things that just get in the way of our living life the way we want to or inhibiting us from taking “short cuts”, but God placed them there for our benefit. They are there for our good. Sure sometimes we may live our lives occasionally not following His guidance, His warning signs, and all is fine, but sometimes we may take that short cut and end up falling into the raging river and being swept down the canyon. Or sometimes we may take a side trail and get lost never making it to our destination. We often take the path that is the easiest, or looks the best, or seems to have more pleasures. When we don’t follow the trail and the warning signs that the creator of the trail intended we may find ourselves in danger, lost or missing out on something He intended.

Oh, and while on that trail, and not taking the shortcut that so many had taken before me, I passed a beautiful small creek and waterfall that was lined with dense green ferns and wildflowers. It was so beautiful I had to stop for a few minutes and just take it all in. Had I not followed the trail, had I not followed the guidance given by the warning signs I would have missed this beautiful scene, this beautiful place.

The maker of the trail knows best. He made the trail the way he did to allow us to have an easier climb, to keep us from hazards or maybe to teach us or show us something that we wouldn’t see if we didn’t stay on the trail. God knows that the greatest, fullest life possible is achieved when we stay on the trail and yield to His warning signs. May we follow the trail as the creator intended.