I get a kick out of some of the signs I see. Sometimes they can send a mixed message that makes me chuckle.

Take for example the vacuum cleaner shop that is advertising a Blowout Sale. Whenever I see it I ask myself, “Isn’t blowing out the opposite of what a vacuum is intended to do?” Have you ever seen a sign at McDonald’s that says, “Drive Through Parking Only?” A Wendy’s restaurant was also guilty of sending an unintentional message when their sign read, “Our secret ingredient is our people.”

The sign that I want to consider, though, today is posted as you enter a small town that is trying to influence drivers. The sign reads, “Drive Slow See Our Village, Drive Fast See Our Judge.”

The choice seems very clear. Drivers have a choice to make, and the way their day turns out can depend on that choice. The message on this sign reminds me of what the Bible says in Deuteronomy 30:16, “For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.”

God has given us his commandments to protect us and to bless us. Some may see his commandments as too narrow, too restrictive of our pleasure, or boring, but they are intended to set us free.

Much of the struggle we face in our lives comes as a direct result of not following our own way instead of living in obedience to God’s Word. God is a loving heavenly father, but he is also a righteous judge.

We have a choice to make. I choose to see the village.

Joel Gay is Pastor of Wilmington Church of the Nazarene.