People have traveled for centuries! They had a direction in mind, and knew to follow the sun/moon/stars until they reached their designated destination.
Mariners, out on the open water, used a device called a sextant, which relied on the stars and the horizon to navigate toward their destination. (Mine may be a more modern picture!) This device required observation during the travel time to make sure they remained on course. Even drifting off several degrees, could cause their progress to be altered way off course!
PAPER MAPS TO NAVIGATE
FOLLOWING MY GPS
Today we have the GPS, which is very specific about where to turn, how many lights you have to go through and even which lane to drive in! Years back when a GPS was first coming out, it was a device you had to purchase. While they were reasonably accurate, sometimes they would take you places a vehicle should never go; like the wrong way on a one way street, down tiny alleys, not meant for cars, or even tell you to turn where there were no roads!
Over the years the GPS has graduated to a more readily available system already programed on our iPhones! Now we simply type in the specific address and it gives you options to choose from, for ease or desirability of the ‘scenic route’ or many other options via the filters available!
ALWAYS GETS ME BACK
Not only do we have pictures on our GPS, it will even talk to us, making sure we don’t miss a turn or exit. Yet, it’s so easy to ignore the directions the GPS gives, if we decide we’d rather go another direction.
The thought process is easy enough: It’ll get me right back to where I need to be if I take another route. And while that may be true, in theory, when we make innumerable turns, getting back to where we wanted to be can be difficult, given how many times we chose to go off course.
That’s not unlike our lives. Every day offers choices to make. We choose our work ethics, our honesty, how we prioritize our needs over wants, how we respond to those who differ in opinion, and so many other core values.
Sometimes we ignore the voice inside our hearts (or brain) which tells us the right way, and choose to disregard our 'internal GPS' directions, or we simply don’t trust it. We're certain if we take another road, the destination will turn out just fine!
It’s also true we encounter detours and delays along the way. Again, the GPS on our iPhone has the ability via satellite, to detect these and can take us an alternate way and still get us back on course.
In life, these unexpected interruptions can slow down our spiritual growth as we seek to find where we are and what we want to do, while all the while dealing with disappointment and discouragement!
LOST SIGNAL
Sometimes, we are driving in a place where there seems to be no signal. Our GPS can go off grid, while it waits patiently for the signal to return. Meanwhile we move forward and expect that soon we’ll be confidently back on track!
The point is, we have a very handy and trusty navigational device--our GPS to help us traverse over miles and miles of beautiful country. It gets updated regularly, almost, seemingly instantaneously, as needed!
In life we can be simply lost, off track, filled with confusion and reaching for something, and haven’t a clue how to move in any direction.
GOD'S WORD: THE BEST GPS
As Christians we have a handy and trusty navigational device for our lives, that however, needs no updates. We are given the Bible, a Living document which can answer all life’s questions and give clear direction, if we search for the truth! Scripture gives us what we need, is always correctly guiding, and is always faithful.
It will teach and instruct, give comfort, is ready to redirect when we miss a turn, keeps us anchored, strengthens, and shapes our hearts! It can warn us when we are going down a wrong path, yet never abandons us. God’s Word, when we choose it, is totally, the ultimate GPS for life!
Photo Credit: Traveling with a map
Photo Credit: Choosing the right way
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