Turning Back

Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon, AZ

2 Chronicles 7:14 GNT

If they pray to me and repent and turn away from the evil they have been doing, then I will hear them in heaven, forgive their sins, and make their land prosperous again.

One of my favorite Denver, Colorado experiences is a restaurant called Casa Bonita.  Now, I’m no connoisseur of Mexican cuisine, but with its (mostly) cafeteria style service, I know it is no Michelin star restaurant. Although, the sopaipillas might possibly be the best in world. What makes Casa Bonita standout is the unique experience. While from the outside it may look like any other Mexican restaurant, the inside is a fantastical Mexican outside! There is a market, a gold mine (if you can find it), a waterfall replete with a diving show and a bridge to walk behind it, and Black Bart’s Hideout, with his stolen loot guarded by a screaming skeleton. There are signs in this cave repeatedly warning, “Stop!” “Turn Around!” “Go Back!” Yet, in the name of fun, we press on, because of the adrenaline rush, the thrill, or everyone else keeps going. While there is little risk at Black Bart’s, it does serve as an example for our lives.

Sometimes God clearly labels our path with, “Turn Back!” “Stop!” But we ignore Him, because we find ways to justify what we are doing. “Oh, it’s just this one time.” “I can handle it.” Or any myriad of reasons, excuses we give to do what we want to do. Perhaps even harder, is turning back when the group mentality wants to go on. In Black Bart’s cave, if I ignore the signs, scream like a girl, and someone snaps a less than flattering photo, can I be mad about that consequence?  If I ignore the warnings from God, He who knows all, can I be mad about any consequences?  Yet, so often we are angry at God and ask Him, “Why did you let that happen?”  God’s warnings, His Word, isn’t given to spoil our fun, but to protect us. If we follow His approved path, we may find more thrills, excitement, and richness than we could have ever imagined.