Dead End
…Divorce…
…Failed adoption…
…Lost job…
…Friendship betrayed…
…Circumstances…
…Cancer…
Arrival on: Dead End Street
This is a familiar road to us all. We arrive in many different vehicles and at various speeds.Â
I have ambled down this road in a slow, painful progression, via a loss of a friendship. I have slammed into the road sign, leaving it flat on the pavement, screeching to a halt, only to look around bewildered because I arrived here again. Could it be pride? I have followed Christ, with absolute certainty of His leading, only to take up residence once again next to the familiar roadblock.Â
Arrival on Dead End Street brings the inevitable questions: Why? What purpose does this serve God?
The question to ask is:Â God what are you up to?
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James 1:5-6Â (New International Version)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Ask Him about it. In many instances, God has future Kingdom work so intense and fantastic we would fear it and run. It is in the waiting that we are prepared to climb the next plateau. Living on Dead End Street forges a soul of Christlike character. Life is not about us. It is about Him. God utilizes our dead end to magnify Himself.
Romans 11:36Â (New International Version)
 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.
      To him be the glory forever! Amen.
The holding pattern teaches us to set aside our ambitions and help others. God works through people. If we are flying down life’s highway screaming past the befuddled bystanders, we can’t possibly show them Jesus. God is revealed when we enrich other lives, our children, spouse, a stranger, and specifically those stranded at Dead End, unable to find their way free. If we refuse to slow down willingly, God unquestionably will find a way to do it for us.
1 Timothy 2:4Â (New International Version)
4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
It is at the dead end where God will pursue you, change you, and grow you. Are you at a dead end right now? If so,
YOU ARE ON HOLY GROUND!
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Jeremiah 29:11(New International Version)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Lord, we are standing on holy ground in your presence waiting. Reveal your desire for our lives and character while we abide in this desolate place. Keep our memory strong, never to forget the lessons learned here. Let us find peace in the promise of your plans to give us a hope and a future. In Jesus name, Amen.
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Oh Lynn this is so true. I look back on so many times when I felt I was in holding pattern, unable to move forward or back, stuck. How amazing to look ack and see how God used it, not only to grow me but to help me understand where others are coming from. nd Jeremiah 29:11 seems to be a runniing theme this year. 🙂
I like what you said about dead ends being holy ground!! In our house, dead end roads are seen as adventures waiting to explore. My son, LOVES exploring dead ends, and often begs either my husband or I when we are driving to go down a dead end to see what its like. We often find beautiful scenery, or whatever…something always neat. He especially loves it when the end of the dead end can’t be seen from the road~adds to the fun of it. Now with this devotion in mind, I’ll never see dead ends exactly the same way again!! Thank you so much for this devotion. I’ll start applying one of my son’s loves to my own life, thank you.
I so agree – I have never thought about being on “Holy Ground” when we reach a hurdle or at a dead end. I think it is awesome to see it that way. I know that God allowed me to be encouragement to others who went through some hard time – just as I do. Sometimes I do wonder how many sifting periods I will go through until I am allowed to see Him face to face.
I remember some of the most heart-breaking times- times when I begged God to change things or make them work out and He didn’t. Now I look back on those times, see God’s wisdom and thank Him for NOT answering my prayers. Thanks Lynn.
I have learned in the past and still learn just today that it’s about perspective…HIS perspective. If I grumble each time I get to the Dead End, then what am I learning? If I say, “okay, wow, look, Dead End, GREAT, something new and different might be around the next turn or circle or even the next Dead End”…If I choose an attitude of Lord, You are Sovereign and YOU are in control, then I don’t need to throw my hands up at Him. The Lord allows life to draw us closer to Him, so I am taking Him up on it.
In Christ, your sister, Karen
Dead end street…. a place I’ve been on a number of ocassions. I always hate arriving there, as it’s painful and frustrating, yet- somehow just about the time I accept it for what it is, God shows a whole new direction… a path where there was none. Not an alternate route that leads where I thought— but to a whole new place!!!!
If only I could remember all of this, the next time I see the SIGN!
Thnx for sharing this today- I’m sure it will help me to do just that!
I have seen that scripture pop up several times today from James….I think God is trying to tell me something.
“The holding pattern teaches us to set aside our ambitions and help others. God works through people. If we are flying down life’s highway screaming past the befuddled bystanders, we can’t possibly show them Jesus.” This is so true. God does work through people, and sometimes he even uses me. I’ve discovered an amazing component to this. While God is using me in someone’s life, simultaneously, He is always using them in my life. It’s reciprocal. Dead ends are indeed “holy ground;” they’re a place for both giving and receiving. GB!
I’ve stopped asking God what He’s up to, now I just ask Him to help me through whatever it may be that He has in mind!