“The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8, NLT)
Daniel Cohen and his friends were expecting a scenic drive as they made their way from Bryce Canyon, Utah, to the Grand Canyon in Arizona in 2008. As the beautiful day turned dark, they traveled along following their GPS. However, the GPS had a system error that led them to the edge of a very steep cliff. Only just managing to stop in time, the group found that they had almost driven off the cliff to their deaths. The group managed to stop just before plunging over. The 25 travelers were stuck in the wilderness all night before being rescued the next morning.
A woman was videotaped plunging into the ocean at a boat ramp in Hawaii. How had she gotten there? She followed directions on her phone that led her down a road leading to her destination. Trusting in the map on her phone and the directions it gave, the woman thought she was on the road when she drove down the boat ramp and into the ocean. Boaters had to rescue her as the car sank beneath the waves.
It’s easy to become complacent with GPS technology. The Global Positioning system is known to be accurate to within 9 feet on average. The military version is known to be accurate to three feet almost everywhere. When you follow a GPS in a vehicle for a few times, and find that it is correct, you inevitably fall under its spell. It makes you think it knows where you are, the best route to your destination, and how long it will take to get to where you are going. However, the GPS can give you inaccurate information or directions. There are errors in mapping. There can be errors in the code. Sometimes, the directions you are given are not the best for you, nor safe. It helps to be aware of your situation.
Spiritually, people sometimes also follow wrong directions. A person might misinterpret a scripture and its meaning for life. A young person might trust the wisdom of a mentor, following along blindly in a way that may suit the mentor but not God Almighty! Even listening to the directions of a parent may prove fruitless if the parent is not considering the welfare of the child nor using wisdom that comes from God! There is no lack of people today who would like to direct your steps, push you in a certain direction, or convince you to follow their lead. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell which way in life is the right one for you.
The scripture for today can offer help in that regard. It suggests that you follow God’s guidance when you need direction. In Psalm 32:8, the Lord claims, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Of course, in order to follow God’s direction, you need to have an open line of communication to the Lord! That won’t happen if you are mired in sin, seldom in prayer, don’t have spiritually trustworthy friends, or aren’t listening to God’s Holy Spirit!
Many young people don’t know what it was like to have a card catalog at the library. The card catalog contained a listing of all the books in the library by title and author and sometimes by subject. It was necessary in pre-computer days to find the right book among the multitudes of library shelves. However, sometimes the card catalog wouldn’t help a library goer, especially when he or she didn’t understand the directions written in the entry. A library brochure in Durham, North Carolina, USA, mentioned that one of its patrons couldn’t find a book because the card catalog entry suggested that the reader “See Main Entry”. The words on the card assumed that the patron would look at the main entry in the card catalog. Instead, the library goer thought the card catalog wanted her to go find the book at the main entry to the building. A librarian found the confused young woman trying to find the book she was looking for by the front steps of the library. She misunderstood the directions!
So many people go through life following the wrong directions or misunderstanding the directions God is giving. It is important that your relationship with God is strong enough, your prayers frequent enough, and your understanding of God’s Word is thorough enough for your to not only hear God’s direction but follow God’s guidance. It helps to have someone who knows God and scripture well enough to guide you. However, nothing can replace God’s direction. And nothing helps more in following God’s direction than a total commitment and trust and obedience to Jesus and His teachings.
Today, consider the following:
Whose voices do you trust most? Can you discern God’s directions? When is the last time you felt the Holy Spirit leading you to someone or away from some thing? Do you heed God's warnings?
A woman was videotaped plunging into the ocean at a boat ramp in Hawaii. How had she gotten there? She followed directions on her phone that led her down a road leading to her destination. Trusting in the map on her phone and the directions it gave, the woman thought she was on the road when she drove down the boat ramp and into the ocean. Boaters had to rescue her as the car sank beneath the waves.
It’s easy to become complacent with GPS technology. The Global Positioning system is known to be accurate to within 9 feet on average. The military version is known to be accurate to three feet almost everywhere. When you follow a GPS in a vehicle for a few times, and find that it is correct, you inevitably fall under its spell. It makes you think it knows where you are, the best route to your destination, and how long it will take to get to where you are going. However, the GPS can give you inaccurate information or directions. There are errors in mapping. There can be errors in the code. Sometimes, the directions you are given are not the best for you, nor safe. It helps to be aware of your situation.
Spiritually, people sometimes also follow wrong directions. A person might misinterpret a scripture and its meaning for life. A young person might trust the wisdom of a mentor, following along blindly in a way that may suit the mentor but not God Almighty! Even listening to the directions of a parent may prove fruitless if the parent is not considering the welfare of the child nor using wisdom that comes from God! There is no lack of people today who would like to direct your steps, push you in a certain direction, or convince you to follow their lead. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell which way in life is the right one for you.
The scripture for today can offer help in that regard. It suggests that you follow God’s guidance when you need direction. In Psalm 32:8, the Lord claims, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Of course, in order to follow God’s direction, you need to have an open line of communication to the Lord! That won’t happen if you are mired in sin, seldom in prayer, don’t have spiritually trustworthy friends, or aren’t listening to God’s Holy Spirit!
Many young people don’t know what it was like to have a card catalog at the library. The card catalog contained a listing of all the books in the library by title and author and sometimes by subject. It was necessary in pre-computer days to find the right book among the multitudes of library shelves. However, sometimes the card catalog wouldn’t help a library goer, especially when he or she didn’t understand the directions written in the entry. A library brochure in Durham, North Carolina, USA, mentioned that one of its patrons couldn’t find a book because the card catalog entry suggested that the reader “See Main Entry”. The words on the card assumed that the patron would look at the main entry in the card catalog. Instead, the library goer thought the card catalog wanted her to go find the book at the main entry to the building. A librarian found the confused young woman trying to find the book she was looking for by the front steps of the library. She misunderstood the directions!
So many people go through life following the wrong directions or misunderstanding the directions God is giving. It is important that your relationship with God is strong enough, your prayers frequent enough, and your understanding of God’s Word is thorough enough for your to not only hear God’s direction but follow God’s guidance. It helps to have someone who knows God and scripture well enough to guide you. However, nothing can replace God’s direction. And nothing helps more in following God’s direction than a total commitment and trust and obedience to Jesus and His teachings.
Today, consider the following:
Whose voices do you trust most? Can you discern God’s directions? When is the last time you felt the Holy Spirit leading you to someone or away from some thing? Do you heed God's warnings?