GPS

“Nah, I don’t need to use the GPS today,” I told myself as I motored through the chilly November morning on my way to work.  For background, I had changed jobs 6 months before, and my new place of employment was a 30+ minute commute, most of which took place on a 4-lane interstate highway.  I knew the way well by now, but sometimes the smartphone map feature is helpful for traffic alerts, including the word to the wise – “speed check ahead.”  These thoughts slipped briefly through my consciousness, overturned by “I don’t want to be so dependent on electronics that I can’t do things on my own.”  So I left my phone on the passenger seat and moved on to other thoughts as I moved in and out of lanes in a kind of awkward dance with the vehicles around me. 

As I neared the office, running a few minutes behind schedule, the “Road Closed Ahead” sign made me groan.  I didn’t even bother trying to figure out my own detour – I picked up my phone, entered the destination, and let the electronic voice tell me which way to go, all the time thinking that I might have avoided the delay had I been using the map from the start.

No big deal.  My arrival time was adequate, and the inability to follow my normal route to work was inconsequential. 

As I waited at a stop sign on that last leg of my drive and thought about the pros and cons of relying on GPS, a verse of Scripture came to mind: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” I John 4:16a.

God loves me (and all of humanity – see John 3:16), and he provides direction for me, through his word, the Bible, and through his Spirit. 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  Psalm 119:105

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Romans 8:14

Don’t get me wrong – God has not provided some cosmic system to get me where I want to go.  God leads me to the destination he has chosen, a destination and a route that are both way beyond my understanding.  Unlike driving to work, which I can accomplish without the help of the smart phone, I can’t successfully navigate life on my own.  But how many moments, hours, days, do I follow my own sense of direction?  Why don’t I make it my routine to stay connected to God, reading his word and listening to his Spirit?  Why don’t I rely on his love?  That would surely cut down on my frustration and help me avoid unnecessary roadblocks.  I could travel in peace, knowing that my paths are in his hands.  And guess what!  I could even let him drive!  (Jesus, take the wheel!)

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.  Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” Psalm 25:4-5