Whither Shall We Go?

Whither Shall We Go?

This is an often-asked question. (Admittedly not always phrased as such.) A search for direction can consume you if you allow it. There will always be doubt at a crossroads, and the enduring legacy of Robert Frost’s most famous poem stands to reveal that all of us harbor secret imaginings of “The Road Not Taken”. Of all the prayers made in a lifetime, I can imagine ‘Where shall I go’ having a place of prominence. And after the study, we’ve undertaken on The Acts of the Apostles, it is an appropriate question. And one that, even after the meanderings inscribed here, will remain relentlessly unanswered. But there is wisdom in the journey itself, even if the ending is elusive. And when faced with an insurmountable obstacle, impassable chasm, or a befuddling conundrum the methods to continue are the same. First, reach out in prayer. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) You will not be able to figure out a way on your own, do not rely on your own cleverness or gumption. You cannot make your own path straight. So stop trying. Secondly, delve into God’s Word. Sometimes if we wonder why we cannot hear God speak, it’s because we haven’t bothered to listen to what He’s already said. And here we will do a (cursory) view of what Scripture has to say on the subject.

“Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69) Peter succinctly sums up the options that we have on this side of the Resurrection. Where else would we go, to whom would we look, to whom could we possibly look? Did anybody else sacrifice their blameless life for your sin? Has anyone else been raised by God from the dead to prepare a way to Heaven? I mean, there are 8 billion people that live on the world now, and an estimated 108-117 billion have ever lived on the planet. We’re kind of spoiled for choice…except we’re not. Of those teeming billions, there is only One that fits the criteria of Messiah. Only One that was with God at the beginning (John 1:1). An “only begotten Son”. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) There is no ‘door #2’. There is no plan B, backup, contingency, or alternative. There is only One. All else fades away in the light of eternity. If we are to passionately pursue something, shouldn’t it be worthwhile? Pursuing Jesus and the things of God’s Kingdom are lasting goals, so much so that they will far outlast us. Peter’s statement above was given in response to a question.

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. (John 6:67) A few days after feeding the five thousand, Jesus was teaching. There were those in the crowd, many who had followed to see more miracles and/or get more food, that did not like the challenging message that was on offer. “On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching, Who can accept it?” (John 6:60) There were those that heard the Son of God speak and walked away. (**Tangent**- To anyone that grows discouraged or despondent about sharing their testimony {see last week’s Newsletter, WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?} or God’s word, remember that people walked away from Jesus directly. Don’t be surprised if they do the same to you! You’d be in fantastic company.) During your darkest moments, there may be cause for Jesus to ask this same question to you. It’d be best to figure out your answer now, and when that moment comes remember it is precisely then when you need to grab Him even closer, to hold Him even tighter, and remember that He has never let you go.

“Where can we go? Our brothers have made us lose heart. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’” (Deuteronomy 1:28) (**Tangent**--What in the world is an Anakite?? Hindsight is 20/20, but it seems strange to be fearful of something against God. He is still here, and we’d likely never know an Anakite existed if not for their record in the Book of those who drove them out. Probably something to keep in mind the next time you begin to be fearful of something.) This verse is an account of the response of the Israelites after the spies’ report of the Promised Land. Ten of the twelve sent in to scout the area reported the large fortified cities and the giant-sized people that inhabited them who would defend it from attack. God pointed them in the direction He wanted them to go, and their response was to despair against what they saw. This is a perfect example of leaning on one’s own understanding. To their own eyes, they were underdogs against an unbeatable foe. Their disbelief kept them from understanding they were led by an omnipotent God for whom nothing is an impossibility. We see another example in the actions of Jonah. Remember that when seeking God’s direction, you may just receive it. And if you do, the consequences of failing to follow it are dire. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years until every man of that disbelieving generation had passed (apart from Joshua and Caleb, the two faithful spies.), and Jonah spent three, very very long, days in the belly of a great fish. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48b). Answered prayer changes lives. It behooves us to take that seriously, when asking and when answered.

“And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.’” (Jeremiah 15:2) If ever one needs a reminder of why we should be grateful every waking moment for Salvation, read the book of Jeremiah. This is the Lord’s message, conveyed through Jeremiah, to the unfaithful Israelite people after generations of neglecting God, following other idols, and thoroughly rejecting their place as God’s chosen. (**Sarcastic aside**--Who would’ve thought that captivity sounded like such a nice option, right?) The calamities that fell upon Judah in Jeremiah’s time are the consequences that we too should face, and much worse, for our sinful conduct. We are not immune from the consequences of sin because we are special. We are immune from the eternal consequences of sin because of who Jesus is. To realize just how good the good news is, we need to reacquaint ourselves with just how abysmal the bad news is. The question here is one of despair, where shall we go in a world on fire? In their case, it was into the fire. We are spared this tormented fate due to the love of a Savior, who paid the penalty that we’ve spent our lives earning. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) (emphasis mine). That incredible conjunction frees mankind from a fate we made for ourselves from the very beginning. We were given life in the paradise of the Garden of Eden, and we chose death. We opted to sin. We deformed what we were given. But. God has a gift for us, to restore what we perverted, to make whole what we diminished, to raise up what we tore down. There is no other description for that behavior than love. The enduring love of a merciful Father, who hasn’t given up on us and has taken every measure to ensure that we know that. Christ was executed publicly, His arms stretched wide, to make sure that we didn’t miss just how much God loves us. The denizens of Judah had death, the sword, starvation, and captivity awaiting them. Reflect on just how fortunate we are to read the words of our Savior, “And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:3-4)

We may stand at a crossroads. Any number of options could present themselves in front of us. Which way is correct? I did mention this question would remain relentlessly unanswered (at least here). But one final verse of encouragement. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7) Where could we go where He is not? Any path you take, you will find God there. Maybe waiting for you to turn back to him after running aground. Maybe to pull you back up out of the waves after a wavering faith. No matter the path you take, you take it with Him. Come what may, He will be there. He is eternal. More formidable than an Anakite. He can outlast our doubt, His love can burn longer than our anger, He can outwait our stubborn insistence, and outwit our cleverest design. “Where can I go from your Spirit?” God’s reach exceeds our furthest grasp. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10). That includes you and me by the way. Not just a tiny guy up a sycamore tree. Whither shall we go? Maybe the question is not as complicated as we make it. Go in faith. Lean not on your own understanding. Don’t be blinded by disbelief. Go gratefully for your salvation and the blessing of the promises made to us and the mercy we’ve already received. There’s only one way anyhow. Lastly, a verse from the Hymn, Lord, and Whither Shall We Go?

Savior, be our Polar Star,

Shaded by no sinful night;

Shed upon us from afar

Living beams of holy light:

When we reach our radiant home,

We shall know the Way we come.

Jordan Williamson