Highways and Byways

It is not true that one mile of every five miles of the U.S. Interstate highway system must be straight enough to allow planes to land on it. This is an urban legend. Interstate highways in the United States are one of the blessings of living in this country. I’ve traveled (and hitchhiked) on many of these ribbons of concrete. Carefully chosen standards regulate how these roads are constructed. For instance, all overpasses must have a 16.5-foot vertical clearance. This was originally set in place to allow some large military equipment to pass through. If this clearance cannot be reached, then an exit and entry ramp needs to be in place to bypass the overpass.

Our uninterrupted system of national highways didn’t exist at the turn of the 20th century. The first national road was created in 1811 and ran between Maryland and Illinois in order to help transport immigrants. It wasn’t until the late 1930s that President Franklin Roosevelt pushed for a highway system as a way to provide jobs for people. President Eisenhower made this a reality, and in 1954 money was set aside to begin construction on the new roads.

Part of what drove Eisenhower to complete such a system of highways occurred in 1919 when he was a young lieutenant colonel in the army and part of the first transcontinental military convoy that traveled from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. It took them two months to complete the journey. His further experience during World War II showed him the advantages of the German autobahn network, which increased mobility and safety in that country.

Solomon also must have had an interest in well-maintained roadways. The Bible says, “Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, who he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem” (1 Kings 10:26). In this golden era of Israel’s history, the famous king raised the level of movement for his troops and workers to anywhere in his kingdom.

Real wisdom involves not only choosing the right road, but also knowing how to avoid the wrong ones. When we follow God’s ways, it’s as if we are raised up on a smooth, clean road, free of Satan’s sidetracks.

We may speed quickly past evil temptations and reach our destination without delay. We avoid exits that lead to sin and may move forward unhindered. Like riding on an interstate highway, we will be safe from the diversions of the enemy. Lord, I choose to follow your ways. Though the devil will still try to pull me off the road to heaven, I choose to keep my eyes on you.

Additional reading: Proverbs 16:17–33

Key Bible Texts

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. (Proverbs 16:17 KJV)