Tony Evans - U-Turns

Copyright 2020 by Tony Evans

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

978-1-4627-9061-6

Published by B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal Classification: 248.84

Subject Heading: CHRISTIAN LIFE / DISCIPLESHIP / GODWILL

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Also used: New American Standard Bible ( nasb ), copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Also used: English Standard Version ( esv ). Text Edition: 2016. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Also used: New Life Version ( nlv ), copyright 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Also used: New King James Version ( nkjv ), copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Molly von Borstel, FaceOut Studio. Arrow icon from Annisa Aulia Istiqomah/shutterstock. Author photo Joshua Farris.

It is the Publishers goal to minimize disruption caused by technical errors or invalid websites. While all links are active at the time of publication, because of the dynamic nature of the internet, some web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed and may no longer be valid. B&H Publishing Group bears no responsibility for the continuity or content of the external site, nor for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank LifeWay Christian Resources and B&H Publishing for their long-standing relationship in publishing, events, and film. It is always a joy to get to work on a project with such Spirit-led servants of the King. I especially want to thank Bill Craig for shepherding this relationship over the years. I also want to thank Taylor Combs and Kim Stanford for their work in reviewing and laying out this manuscript. Lastly, I want to thank Heather Hair for her continued dedication to my written library through her collaboration on this manuscript.

CHAPTER ONE

You Are Free to Choose Your Direction

Many years ago, out in the country, there lived a young boy in a home without plumbing. His familys house sat on a parcel of land far removed from much of civilization. As can be expected, an outhouse had been constructed some distance from the home. It sat close to a steep ledge that overlooked a creek.

This young boy hated the fact that, regardless of the weather, he had to walk quite a distance to go use the outhouse. Whether night or day, he had to leave the comfort of his home and make the long trek. On one occasion, this little boys frustration got the best of him and,, in a moment of sheer emotion, he shoved the rickety outhouse off of the ledge and into the creek down below.

Later that day, his father approached him with a very grave look on his face. Son? he asked.

Yes, Daddy? the boy replied, sheepishly.

Did you push the outhouse off of the ledge and into the creek?

The son hung his head in shame and said, Yes, sir, Daddy. I did it.

The father then began to tell him what his punishment would be, only to be interrupted by his son. But Daddy, he said, trying to get out of his impending punishment, wait a minute. I learned that when George Washingtons father asked him if he cut down the cherry tree, that he told the truth and admitted he did it. And then his father didnt punish him. The boy paused, searching for his fathers response on his face. Then he continued when there was none, I told the truth too. I shouldnt be punished either.

To which his father replied, Yeah, but George Washingtons father wasnt in the cherry tree when George chopped it down!

This humorous story reminds us on a more profound note that decisions really do matter.

When God created humanity, He gave us a will with a capacity to choose. We all have the freedom to make our own choices. Within Gods sovereign boundaries, He has established a field of play that allows for our decisions. Like a football field that has lines that do not move, teams are allowed to call their own plays within the sovereign lines and boundaries. The plays they call, along with their skillful execution of those plays, by and large determine the outcome of their game.

Decisions really do matter.

In creation, God sits sovereignly over our field of play. He has established certain lines that are nonnegotiable. He is King. He sets the boundaries in His realm. Yet within those lines, He has also chosen to give us freedom. He has given us choice. He has created us with the uniquely human characteristic known as free will.

For example, He told Adam and Eve in the garden, You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die (Gen. 2:1617). Bottom line: God told Adam and Eve that they could choose. He gave them options. He even told them about the consequence if they chose poorly. But then He removed His hands of control on their conscience and allowed them to make the decision.

In giving humanity choice, evil became an option. God never forced evil into the human equation; rather, He allowed it. However, humanity actualizes it when we choose anything that goes against the sovereign and preferred will of Gods rule.

You and I have been given freedom. And while that truth delights us, what many often forget is that with freedom comes responsibility. Yes, we have the freedom to choose for God or to choose against God. Yet while we have full ability to make our own choices in this life weve been given, we do not get to choose the consequences. Those have been predetermined by God. Just as God told Adam and Eve that if they chose to eat from the forbidden tree, they would certainly die, God has consequences established within His rules that will play out if or when we choose against Him.

The freedom to choose is not the freedom to determine the outcomes of those choices. That is a very critical point to understand, because oftentimes when we find ourselves searching for a U-turn or hoping for a reversal or calling on God to deliver us, we forget that it was our own choices that got us lost to begin with. And when we forget that, we also forget to come before the Lord in a spirit of humility rather than entitlement. Yes, He is a good God. No, He is not obligated to make everything good in your life. Romans 8:28 says that God will work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called to His purposes. It doesnt say that all things will be, or will feel, good as they happen.

You may have picked up this book because you are tired of harvesting bitter and failed crops from wrong choices. You may have grabbed this book because you wanted a solution to your lifes struggles. And if thats you, then this is the right book. That is my aim in ministering to you through these paragraphs, pages, and points. But what I wont do is give you a solution softened from the blows of Gods truth. I wont do that because that is no solution at all. Your U-turn takes place precisely at the signposts of His truth, and nowhere else.

In the passage Ive chosen to begin this book, Moses has reached his golden years and is delivering one of his final sermons. The children of Israel are about to cross over into the Promised Land; yet before they cross over, Moses wants to talk to them about their freedom to choose. He wants to remind them of the lessons hes learned the hard way, along with those who wandered aimlessly in the wilderness before them. Moses wants to send them forward on good footing so that they can experience all the blessings God has for them. He wants to remind them of the importance of living their lives according to the covenant.