“He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.”   (Psalm 107:20)

It has happened on most main streets of small town America.  The old storefronts have disappeared and are now replaced with more progressive buildings in an effort to revitalize what was at one time a thriving downtown business area. In our town, buildings that once contained clothing shops, five and ten department stores, as well as banks and other places of local commerce have now been demolished. Structures which have housed the local mercantile for many generations have been levelled in the name of progress.  An all-in-one service center will soon provide groceries, health and beauty supplies, as well as a full-pharmacy. Many wish it could be like it once was, but those who have seen it decline live in hope of something better. And with it, the memories of yesterday will be preserved only in photos.

Sometimes things get destroyed that were never intended to be so. Homeowners in a small Texas town had their house reduced to rubble recently when a demolition company mixed up addresses and bulldozed the wrong house. The families who lived there were waiting on their insurance to cover costs for damages to the home caused months before by a tornado. Part of the confusion resulted from a twisted sign that directed the crew down the wrong street leading to an improper identification of the duplex scheduled for demolition. It should not surprise us when our personal lives can also head for destruction if the paths we choose to take are somewhat misguided. When this occurs and our lives become twisted, the Apostle Paul has sent out this warning: “They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth”. (Philippians 3:19).

There’s an interesting form of structure demolition called an implosion in which blasting material is strategically placed so that when it is exploded, the structure will cave inward onto itself. Sometimes large parking garages or sports complexes are destroyed in this manner. I have also heard references made about organizations that have imploded. Not so long ago, I observed the use of the term by a baseball manager whose team was in the lead until the latter few innings of a game. When bullpen pitchers took the mound in relief, they blew the lead and were appropriately described by this phrase. It is not unusual for similar destruction to occur within churches, families, or within our own lives. The psalmist writes: “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Implosion is always possible when we fail to honor God’s fundamental principles and instead allow the selfish purposes of what is right in our eyes to rule. Sometimes it may not even be intentional. Like Paul, we may find ourselves conflicted and cry out: “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” (Romans 7:15).

Years ago, the television show Mission Impossible began every episode with a scene in which the team leader would receive a tape describing his next mission. The tape always began, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it . . .”  and ended with, “This message will self-destruct in five seconds.” Lucky for us, we have a Creator who makes our mission a possible one. “I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free” (Isaiah 44:22). Just as the suffering of Israel paved the way for forgiveness and the rebuilding of the nation, we too can be restored. We have a Savior in the name of Jesus who gives us this direction – “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it” (Matthew 7:13). He gives us plenty of time and opportunity to choose a path that is always vitalized, never confusing, and one that we should always consider a desirable mission . . . unless our goal is to somehow implode.

REFLECTION: What are those twisted signs in your life that have misdirected you from a true fellowship with Jesus?  What faith practices do you need to put in place in your daily journey to assure that you are being constructive?  How can you apply these in your network of family, friends, and organizations?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., APRIL 16, 2016.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.