Last week, I wrote about our camping trip to the Dunes, sand hills in California that cover over 800 acres and rise 500 feet in the air.  Crazy drivers race up and down the mountains or zigzag their way through the sand canyons.  Ambulances await at the entrance for the call that they are needed, a common occurrence.

Our family gets there the week before Thanksgiving to find a level spot at the top of the camping arena.  From there, they can see hundreds of motor homes and campers scattered across the terrain.  Those who attempt to camp on higher ground frequently find that their trucks, pulling their RV’s, do not have the appropriate tires for sufficient traction.  The men in our group were called upon not a few times to tow someone out.

The first day Dave and I were there, we watched as an inexperienced driver needed help.  His dual-wheeled truck, towing a large R.V., was stuck, so Haley, one of the men in our group, pulled his truck in front of the stranded one, tied on a heavy-duty tow strap, and explained to the other driver how he needed to “gun it” when Haley raised his arm.  Three times, the man failed to obey.  He waited for the pull of the strap before he pressed on the gas instead of pushing on the gas first.  Haley’s truck now was spinning its wheels, sand spraying everywhere.

The fourth attempt, the man unattached his RV, did what he was told, and was pulled out of the sand.  Had he just listened and obeyed the first time!

Sometimes when in a rut, we, like the stranded man in this story, try to dig ourselves out instead of relying on other’s expertise.  After all, we know better, right?  Who needs GPS when common sense tells us how to get to our desired destination (says Hubby)?  Why should we listen to the doctor’s instructions to rest when we have umpteen pressing errands to run?  What’s wrong with listening to a divorce lawyer instead of a Christian counselor?

It’s no different in our spiritual life.  How many times have I, when I am in a mess, called a friend instead of calling God to help me out, even though my friend’s advice is anything but godly.  “You don’t deserve to be treated like that”; “I hope you gave her a piece of your mind”; “Don’t ever say you’re sorry.”

In 1 Kings 12, we read a tragic story of King Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, making a bad choice instead of asking God for advice.  After Solomon’s death, Rehoboam was in line to be king. His job was to unify Judah and Israel. The Israelites begged him to lighten the workload Solomon had laid on them.  After consulting the elders who had served Solomon for advice, he ignored their answer: “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”

Rehoboam instead listened to his guy-pals who said the yoke should be heavier, not lighter. The Israelites rebelled.  Instead of unifying the two countries, his actions divided them.  One of the saddest scriptures is found in 2 Chron. 12:13-14 which describes Rehoboam’s demise: “And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek Yahweh.”                                                        Sometimes pride gets in our way and doesn’t allow us to yield to the opinion of a more knowledgeable person.  And we suffer.  But not turning to God?  Only if we wish to dig ourselves into a deeper rut should we ever make that choice.