One year for Christmas my brother, Zan got an electric train. Santa had the track installed on a piece of plywood. It was amazing. Zan got so much joy playing with that train. It was great, until it came off the track. Then he would carefully get the engine and the rest of the cars back on track and start agin. Sometimes it would go a long time, other times it would derail again quickly. Sometimes it’s just hard to stay on track.

Human beings seem to habitually get off track…just like that train. We walk with Jesus, read the Word, pray, worship and the next thing you know there we are, off track. We decide we know what we need and Abba doesn’t. We wish we had gotten the new car, house, dress, boat, golf clubs etc. We think we should have received the promotion. Or maybe we just think we are more spiritually mature than so and so…whatever the thought…we are off track.

Look in the Word. Here are a few examples of getting “off track”.

Gideon. He does great things. The Israelites are delivered from Midian. When Israel tries to make Gideon king, he refuses. Yet he lives like king. He takes gold earrings and makes an ephod and Israel plays the harlot with it. He has 70 sons. It takes a lot of money to run that household. Gideon got off track.

Hezekiah. Created reforms in Israel. Restores temple worship. Passover is reinstituted. Yet, when he becomes mortally ill, and God heals him, the Word says, “But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.” 2Chronicles 32:25

Solomon. We see Solomon beginning his reign asking for wisdom. Wisdom to rule Israel well. As the years pass and Solomon’s wealth increases and he takes on wives and concubines, his heart is turned form God.

David. That dear shepherd boy that began with faith in God to destroy giants. A warrior to fight. A mighty king to lead Israell. A worshipper…one spring when kings went out to war, he stayed home…saw Bathsheba…and it was a slippery downhill slope. David did repent and seek his God. Thankfully.

My point is that these were mighty men. Used in spectacular ways for God’s purposes…but they got “off track”. Sometimes, it is just an innocent look or conversation, or a goal…but we lose our God-focus and give something or someone God’s place in our heart. We get derailed.

None of us are immune. The Word tells us to guard our hearts and we surely must do that. When we think we can’t be off track, maybe that is when we are in danger.
My heart’s desire is to finish well. I’ve talked about this before. But I want us all to finish well. When we do get derailed, we have a dear Savior, a dear Father who eagerly waits to put us back…on track.