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 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 as I drew closer, I realized I was seeing trees through the fog.

In life, we also have a reliable navigational system if we choose to follow it: God’s Word. His directions are infallible, although they may not always lead where we expected to go.

Life is full of unfamiliar paths. Sometimes those paths greet us with less-than-ideal conditions: roadblocks, bad weather, poor visibility, or construction. Detours along the way may sidetrack us, but they don’t have to change our ultimate destination.

Things are not always what they seem. Sometimes what seems good may really be not so good. Other times, what frightens us from a distance looks entirely different when we draw close enough to see clearly. Sometimes smoke means there is a fire on the side of the road, and sometimes it turns out to be a tree looming in the fog.

Discernment requires careful observation and attention to detail.

Sometimes, the best course of action is simply to keep going. When we don’t know the road or the lay of the land, we can trust the Guide even when we cannot see very far ahead.

Truth be told, I don’t 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, and even the short ones, I give that time to the God who knows the hairs on my head (Matthew 10:30) and knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). He knew my days before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16).

He is more reliable than any man-made navigational system.