And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them.
Galatians 6:16 NKJV
I was on a European bus tour some years back and saw the ultimate chaos on the streets of Rome. In a three-lane road going one way, there would inevitably be five cars abreast. In fact, it was rarely clear just where the lanes of traffic were, if indeed there were any. I soon quit gasping when someone cut directly in front of us, pulled out to drive into the oncoming traffic (with cars advancing), or decided to turn around right in the middle of busy traffic. After all, no one seemed to hit anyone. I chalked it up to a few extra legions of angels hovering over us.
Then came the first major intersection – fifty to one hundred little cars all packed into that intersection like sardines in a can. Vehicles were going every which way! I gasped in horror and marveled that anyone got anywhere at all. Again, I was amazed at the scarcity of accidents since traffic lights seemed to serve no other purpose than being street ornaments.
Finally, our tour guide unraveled the mystery. “They have their own rules of the road,” he explained. “They are unwritten rules, yet every local knows and follows them. The trouble comes when a foreigner enters in who doesn’t know these rules. That’s when horns start to blow and fists to shake. That’s when things get dangerous and accidents happen.”
The apparent chaos wasn’t really chaos at all. There were rules – unwritten – but they were there; and when followed, things went well. Rather like God’s rules, I think. They aren’t flashed on billboards but are available in His Word. And as long as they are followed, things run smoothly. But even one person out of order, one bad “driver,” can really cause chaos.
Sometimes we’re tempted to think that God has left this world to its own chaos. Yet, as we entered the highway leading to Rome’s airport, I was reminded that He has not: I saw two great cedars of Lebanon standing, one on each side of the road, as if these tall, stately trees were guarding the “eternal city of Rome.” Somehow, they appeared to symbolize our God standing constant guard over His world. “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” He promises (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV).
That means He is with us in Rome, Toronto, Los Angeles, Singapore, Brasilia, or wherever we may find ourselves in this wide world of His – today and always.
In His Presence - Copyright ©2018 by General Conference Women’s Ministries Department