Following the Road Map
“I will point out the road that you should follow.
Psalm 32:8 CEV
I will be your teacher and watch over you.”
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”
Psalm 37:23 NLT
We are all on a journey. God has a plan in mind for each one of us, and if we let Him, He will guide us along the best route for our lives. It may not be the quickest, and there may be hazards to face along the way, but it will be the perfect path to get us where we need to go. So how do we let Him guide us? We need to study and follow our road map, the Bible. We also need to listen to our personal Guide, the Holy Spirit. James W. Goll reminds us that God has not left us on our own to figure out how to reach His destinations. He sent us His instructions a long time ago through His Word:
“This manual spells out in plain print much of our most desperately needed direction. But as with any road map, it won’t do us much good if we keep it stuffed away in our glove box or on a shelf collecting dust. We have to take it out and use it. If we haven’t read our Bible, we should not act like we know where we are going. Without it, we could take a wrong turn on the road and double the length of time it takes to get to our destination. We need to get smart! We need to take out the map and study it so that we get to know the territory we are entering. We will need to review the road map many times, in order to end up at the right place without running out of gas or even running off the road.”
James W. Goll, The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God
“Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.”
Psalm 119:105 GNT
As God leads us, He may give us turn-by-turn directions instead of showing us the entire route. His Word is like a lamp which only illuminates the path a few steps ahead. This can be a scary way to travel! It’s a little like driving through fog. We’ve got to proceed slowly and carefully since we can’t see what’s coming our way. But God knows what’s ahead. And He has to prepare us to face it. This sometimes means going through difficulties — difficulties that we would be tempted to avoid if it were up to us. But we have to trust that God’s way is best. As Charles Stanley tells us, the Lord operates by giving us just enough guidance to take the next step:
“He gives you sufficient light in order to travel to the next point on His road map. When you reach that place, He gives you the next clue on the journey. This is the way He teaches you to be fully dependent on Him. If He showed you the full story and how to do everything at one time, you’d run off, doing your own thing. Next thing you know, you’re stepping off a cliff, because you think, I’ve got this. That’s why the will of God usually comes a step at a time. He knows that we would bypass the very obstacles and challenges that prepare us and make the journey successful. But we simply cannot lose doing what God wants us to do, when He wants us to do it, and in the manner He says to proceed. This is the most certain way to success.”
Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for Your Life
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Left on our own to navigate our path, we can get hopelessly lost! God’s ways are far above our understanding. That’s why we need Him to guide us. His plan will be accomplished whether we cooperate or not. If we don’t seek God, we may not have a clue what He is doing and we can become discouraged and confused. But when we trust Him, we can relax and enjoy the ride. He will show us what we need to know in order to get us where we need to go. And He will supply the provisions we need for the journey.
“In our limited understanding, we simply do not see our circumstances from God’s perspective. The Lord alone comprehends the totality of every single factor and decision, and because He is infinitely loving and wise, He will never make a mistake when it comes to leading you. In other words, He knows what He’s doing in your life. While it can be frustrating and scary to lean on God and not your own wisdom, it is always the best way to live because His logic vastly exceeds your own (Isaiah 55:8-9). You can trust Him. Therefore, have faith that your infinite, all-wise, loving Lord and Savior knows the best action to take in your life and that He won’t steer you wrong.”
Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for Your Life
“Christ’s message in all its richness must live in your hearts. Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts.”
Colossians 3:16 GNT
The best way to travel is with a clear map and a trustworthy guide. We must read and study our road map, the Bible, and meditate on the truths found there. We must let God’s words “live in our hearts” and we must seek His guidance every day. If we get lost, we should never be afraid to stop and ask for His directions to get us back on track. As we spend more time reading God’s Word, we will have an easier time hearing His voice. And that’s when the journey gets really exciting!
“If we want to end up at the right place at the right time to see the written Word turn into an immediate word from God, if we want faith that pleases God, and if we want hear His sweet voice — get out a road map, read it and follow the directions. . . . The Word of God — it’s your road map for the journey of life. And the One who wrote it, the Holy Spirit, is your personal Tutor, waiting to speak a word into your ear: ‘This is the way, walk in it’ (Isa. 30:21).”
James W. Goll, The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God
This week’s Scripture passages remind us that God is our source of wisdom and direction. His Spirit guides us to the correct paths as we travel on life’s journey. We can choose to go our own way, but this leads to chaos and confusion: we may take a wrong turn, hit a dead end, or go right off the edge of a cliff. When we trust our Guide, we can enjoy a peaceful, yet exciting, journey into the amazing plans God has for us!
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left,
Isaiah 30:21 NIV
your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying,
‘This is the way; walk in it.'”
References:
- Goll, James W. The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God. Regal from Gospel Light, 2008.
- Stanley, Charles F. God’s Purpose for Your Life: 365 Devotions. Thomas Nelson, 2020.
Images:
- Road Map featured image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
- Map with Compass image by Piotr Rabiej from Pixabay
- GPS image by Foundry Co from Pixabay
- Destination Map image by TheAndrasBarta from Pixabay (edited by me)
- Map with Glasses image by Dariusz Sankowski from Pixabay
- Bible with Glasses image by Iris Hamelmann from Pixabay
- Bible with Arrow Paperclip image by congerdesign from Pixabay
About The Author
Christa
My vision for Wondertakings was to create a devotional blog for "nerdy" Christians like me. I do believe, as Socrates said, that wisdom begins in wonder. So I love to read or watch anything that inspires wonder and figure out what I can learn from it. I view it all through a Christian lens. I believe that God can and does speak through many sources in many ways, even if those speaking are not aware of it. I am not an expert in theology or religious studies. My goal with this blog is simply to share what I've learned as a fellow student and sinner in the Christian walk. My hope and my prayer is that by doing so I may be able to help someone else. In Deuteronomy 5:33 (NLT), we are told: "Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives. . . ." So in the words of Moses (and Spock), live long and prosper, my friends!