Is your GPS reliable?

Driving down an unfamiliar highway in the fog, with only my GPS to guide me to my destination, I saw a clear metaphor for life. With such poor visibility, on a road I didn’t know, I relied only on the navigational system to safely get me where I needed to be. Then the fog gave way to heavy rain. At one point in the deepest fog, I saw what appeared to be billowing smoke, but turned out to be trees as I drew close enough to see clearly.

A few observations I pondered, while keeping my eyes on the portion of the road I could see:

1. In life, we have an adequate GPS system if we choose to follow it, in the form of God’s Word. His directions are infallible and will get us where we want to go.
2. Life is full of unfamiliar paths. Sometimes those paths greet us with less than ideal conditions and roadblocks, bad weather, poor visibility, construction. Detours along the way may sidetrack us from our ultimate goal.
3. Things are not always what they seem. Sometimes what seems good may really be not so good. Other times, things are exactly as they seem. (Sometimes smoke means there’s a fire on the side of the road, sometimes it turns out to be a tree looming in the fog). Learn discernment through careful observation and attention to detail.
4. Sometimes, the best course of action is just to keep driving. When you don’t know the road or the lay of the land, trust the Guide will get you there safely, wherever “there” might be. Truth be told, I don’t simply blindly rely on my GPS. I look at the map beforehand. I know I can call people who know the road I’m traveling if I have any problems. Most importantly, I pray. A. Lot. Through the many miles (or even short miles) of my journeys, I give that time to the God who knows the hairs on my head and knit me together in my mother’s womb. He’s known my days since before there was time. He is more reliable than any man-made navigational system.