Recently I attended traffic school because I got a speeding ticket. One thing I learned is: while on the freeway and someone is entering on an on ramp you are to yield to him if he will be ahead of you after he has merged. We have often heard "yield your heart to Jesus." Considering this analogy - we are in control of our lives (or the car, or the traffic lane) but when Jesus enters our lives we let him go in front, we follow him.
One time I witnessed an accident while on my way from home from work. This was in Sacramento, it was raining lightly and the streets were very slippery. A guy in a small pickup truck was weaving in and out of the traffic trying to get ahead. Just as he pulled in front of a car driven by an older lady the traffic light changed to red and he slammed on his brakes. Needless to say she ran into him. Later I was called by the insurance companies trying to figure out who was to fault in the accident. This guy claimed he "was in full-control of the lane" when he was rear - ended by the woman. NOT!!
HOWEVER, on some occasions Jesus will pull right in front of us and stop. Let's face it if I was in a row boat headed for the Niagra Falls, and didn't know it - I would appreciate his stopping me mid stream. Sure, I might think the speed and the spray of the ride was a thrill, until I could hear the roar of the falls ahead. The entire lost world is heading for the falls, doomed for destruction. However some are closer to the edge than others. I think the closer to the edge, the more drastic the measures he uses to get our attention. Think of Saul on the Damascus Road, or the captivity of the nation of Israel.
He wants us to yield before we get to the edge. It is sort of like when you drive up to a road construction site, there is a flagman to get your attention holding a sign... which says either "SLOW DOWN" or "STOP" The flagman is like the Holy Spirit. Then there is the pilot car. Typically a pickup with a large sign on the tail-gate.. "FOLLOW ME." Which, of course, you do. The pilot car then proceeds to go down the wrong side of the road, perhaps past a wash out, perhaps past a rock slide, dodging heavy equipment. If you had insisted on blasting past the flagman at 65 miles per hour, you would have certainly damaged your car, perhaps run off the road and killed yourself.
So the point is yield to Jesus - your life will be better - you won't go over the falls to your destruction, he will direct your path, he will save you.
Larry M. Vredenburgh July 20, 1999