In the early years of our marriage, I wanted to take my wife to visit my Aunt Nell and Uncle Homer who lived in Twiggs County Georgia; to the farm. The farm is where I had spent many summers as a young boy and well into my teen years. I had many great memories of that place, from operating my Uncle Homer’s Farmall Super A tractor to learning to drive a “3 on the column” in the peanut field.

As we drove toward Warner Robbins Georgia on I-75, I decided to take a “short cut” on SR 96. I had been on this stretch of road with my aunt and uncle on multiple occasions and I was quite confident I could navigate my way to the farm using this route. “Are you sure”? my wife asked, “Oh yes,” I replied. “I think so”, I said to myself. By the time I realized or confessed that I didn’t have a clue where this “short cut” was leading me, we were on a tiny little dirt road in the middle of somewhere, which was nowhere to me. I had wasted more time taking the short cut compared to if I had just taken the “established route”. I was embarrassed, confused, and lost in the middle of a cornfield!

Sadly, a lot of Christians find themselves in situations much worse than being lost and confused in a cornfield. The paths and short cuts we deliberately choose tend to almost always lead us in a different direction from where we should be going. Our pride and fleshly desires rule, even when we have someone in the seat next to us saying, “are you sure this is the way?” “Oh, I can handle this,” we say, “if I get too lost, I can just turn around,” easier said than done! Quicker than we can imagine we have put ourselves, even our family, into a place we were never intended to be. But tragically, even then, some will not confess they chose the wrong road.

Then, there are the lies of the Devil. “It’s too late now”, “Your life is wrecked”, you’ve lived a lie, your family is lost, and God will not hear you now.”

But God’s Word says something different.

He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.  As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.  (Psalm 103:10-13)

Now let me finish the story…

Fortunately, we had a cell phone, the old kind that flipped open, and would you believe it, there was cell service! What do you suppose I did? I called the only person who would have any earthly idea where I was and would know how to get me to where I was supposed to be, my Uncle Homer.

Embarrassed, and humbled I called. My Aunt answered, “We’ve been wondering where ya’ll were. Are you lost?” “Yes ma’am”, I replied, “Here’s your Uncle Homer,” she said and handed the phone to my uncle. It was very comforting to hear his voice. I told him of my state of affairs and without any ridiculing or condescending remarks, he asked what was the last thing I remembered seeing before turning off the paved road into the cornfield. To my surprise, when I told him, he said, “I’ll come and get you”. How on earth did my Uncle Homer know where I was?

Not long after, my Uncle Homer showed up in his white Ford F150, wearing his blue coveralls with a smile and a hug that had the familiar smell of Old Spice, and we followed him to the farm, invigorated that we had been found.

In my story, there were no long term disastrous consequences for my choice to take “a shortcut”. But in life where we choose “shortcuts” to quickly acquire things like peace, pleasure, or perceived problem-solving, people turn to money, drugs, alcohol, and sex instead of patiently following God’s Word, and trusting in the peace, pleasure and problem-solving that it brings.

There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
    but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. (Proverbs 28:26)

If, however you are “lost in a cornfield”, don’t listen to the lies of the Devil take heed to the Word of God.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
 In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
 Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
 It will be healing to your flesh
    and refreshment to your bones.  (Proverbs 3:5-8)