How do you feel about traffic? If you live in a big city, you probably just rolled your eyes. If you live in a small town, traffic probably means something entirely different to you. Nevertheless, we’ve all been caught in it, delayed by it, and frustrated with it at some point in our lives.

What about the personal “traffic” we endure in our busy lives? Have you ever thought about the word traffic in this way? Me either, until I stumbled upon this verse from Psalms in The Message Bible, “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.” (Psalm‬ ‭46:10‬)

We all have personal traffic we endure on a daily basis. Whether it’s racing thoughts that bottle neck the freeways of our minds, or broken down emotions that block the flow of ongoing spiritual progress and growth. Perhaps it’s unhealthy habits that are responsible for transforming our once Cadillac bodies into rusty old Fords with lots of junk in the trunk. Maybe it’s all of the above.

On a more practical note, perhaps your personal traffic sounds like the horns of deadlines approaching the intersection of success and failure, or the Suburban full of remote-learning overloaded, socially bored, hungry for something other than mom’s cooking children who are not shy about expressing their opinions. (Deep sigh) Could it be the Mack Truck of unknown answers to your questions barreling down the underground tunnel of your deepest fears?

Regardless of the make, model, year, color, and style of our personal busy roadways, we all need to step out of the traffic.

We all need to heed the yellow and red lights we’ve been given by a loving God to slow down, stop, look, and listen before we proceed into the intersection of “normal” life again, much less accelerate toward a future that God has already planned (Jer. 29:11).

Do you know what the verse above from Psalms says in a more common translation? “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”(Psalm‬ ‭46:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

Be still and know.

Step out of the traffic.

Same verse, different view.

Whether you have used this time of quarantine to be still and know, or if you are wishing you had spent more time heeding the traffic signals, it’s not too late to tap the brakes.

If you feel trapped by an essential job that puts you at risk, if you feel cut off because you’ve been labeled nonessential, if it seems like your plans have been barricaded and your future full of roadblocks, or if you are just frustrated with your personal traffic, I encourage you, as the scripture says, to take a long, loving look at your High God, above politics, above everything.

Step out of the traffic. It’s not too late to be still and know.