Rumble Strips. Also known as audible road markings or alert strips, are traffic markers used on highways across America for several decades. These side markers along the direction of travel are safety mechanisms to alert traveling drivers when they are drifting off of their desired path. When a vehicle's tires come across these small corrugated or raised bumps in the road, it creates a tactile vibration and audible noise that not only alerts the driver but wakes up every person in the car and greatly increases heart rate in a matter of milliseconds. As aggravating as these little annoying devices can be, they have proven to decrease single-car accidents by 60-65% over the years that they have been in use. Every American driver at some point has experienced a moment on the rumble strips that sent us a message loud and clear: realign and get back on the path going in the right direction.

In life, those of us who call ourselves Christians will often experience short periods or elongated seasons of spiritual drift. Spiritual drift is the all too familiar condition in which we allow our eyes to be removed and our minds to be disconnected from Jesus and the God-ordained purposes of our lives. This drift is usually a gradual, often subtle, movement away from a strong spiritual foundation and deep relationship with God. It could be the result of neglecting spiritual disciplines such as Scripture reading, prayer, and worship. It may be the product of prioritizing worldly pursuits such as hobbies, relationships, or professions that take precedence over the things of God. Sometimes the drift happens on the heels of life challenges, unexpected trauma, grief, or stress. There are many cases throughout the Bible and in life that cause those who’ve placed faith in Christ to become distant from God, lack a passion for spiritual things, and feel a sense of emptiness. The nation of Israel regularly drifted in the Old Testament. Samson pursued his flesh and drifted from his purpose when he laid his head in the lap of Delilah. An unnamed prodigal son allowed his eyes to be removed from all that he had in his father and ended up drifting to a far country. David, the disciple named Peter, and an Apostle named Paul were all products of the drift. In each case of spiritual drift, if we look deep enough, we will find that God regularly put out the rumble strips to get them back on the path.

Spiritual rumble strips are sure signs of God's infinite love and endless mercy. They are a matter of our Father's faithfulness. Boundaries are one of God's greatest expressions of love. Like the bumpers on each side of the bowling lane at a 5-year-old birthday party, the guidelines and boundaries that are set by God are designed to keep us on the right path and out of the gutters. On many occasions in the Bible, God would allow or permit, a variety of hardships that were designed or used to get the attention of those who are drifting. These were bumpers or strips designed to get our attention and get us back on the path. He placed Israel in a wilderness, David experienced the loss of a son, the prodigal's friends left and his money ran out, and Samson never saw more spiritually clear than when the Philistines physically took his eyes. These were all attention-getters. In Haggai’s day, as they were building Zerubbabel’s temple, God Himself admitted that it was He who cut holes in their purses and permitted their crops to be ruined by heat and mildew. God, in love and mercy, permits and sometimes causes circumstances that are designed to wake up the drifters and get our attention.

In short, we must remember that God may not cause every event, but He does govern every detail so that in every circumstance, it may be used for our everlasting good. Our annoyances can end up being the very thing that reveals our deepest need. People who hurt us give us opportunities to exercise forgiveness. Physical health ailments often grab our attention and turn us back to God and rebellious teenagers train us to look to Him and pray without ceasing. Everything in life that seems wrong or bad can be an invitation to turn to God. It very well could be that these events are the very things bringing us back to Him. One may end up broke, in the hospital, or even in jail, but if it brings them back to God's path for their life, then the vibration God caused by the rumble strips will be worth it. Rest assured that our God is too good to be unkind and He will go to some extreme lengths our get our attention. The Psalmist understood this, in Psalm 119:67 saying, “Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I have kept thy word.” In other words, regular wanderers who get off the path and drift will soon learn that God uses affliction to discipline us and get us back on track. The spiritual rumble strips work! Remember this: Your shake-up could be your setup. The Lord loves us and He’s going to use what we are going through to get us where we need to be.