Detour

This morning I was driving to a friend's house on a very familiar road. Part of the way there, I saw a detour sign. Smugly I said to myself" Well that is for others. I will not need to follow that since I can get to Wellsely without a problem." So on my way I went and lo and behold, I came to a road block.
" Well, what is this?" I asked myself. I could not go where I wanted to go. Someone had blocked the way temporarily and inconvenienced me. The nerve!
My smugness was gone and I sheepishly had to turn around and follow the detour sign to reach my destination. They really HAD meant for me to follow the sign. I was no exception to the rule. They were not going to bend it for me.
Isaiah says, ' All we like sheep have gone our own way.' Going our own way is what God calls sin. It is like seeing the sign that says 'detour' and refusing to follow the directions, feeling it was not really meant for YOU. As though life is about YOU.
As in my having to re-route my trip, there are consequences when we go our own way. The ultimate is eternal death - life without love and light and the presence of God. If we want to go that way, we can. But we also have to live with the consequences. However,unlike my adventure today, they are eternal.
Think about that and next time, do as I say, not as I did, follow the detour sign.