The Lord says, “I will instruct you. I will teach you the way that you should go. I will advise you as my eyes watch over you. [Psalm 32:8 (GW)]
The eyes of the Lord are everywhere. [Proverbs 15:3a (GW)]
After the GPS flawlessly led us to our hotel in Orlando, we wondered how a satellite navigation system can keep track of countless cars and their various destinations. The following day, I looked at the GPS screen and the arrow indicating our position was several blocks east of us. It seemed to think we were driving over a golf course, across a canal and into a lake. Apparently, that eye in the sky is nowhere near as accurate as we’d originally thought. There are around 24 satellites orbiting at any one time to provide us with global positioning and we need to receive signals from at least three of them to get accurate directions. The line between the satellites and GPS must be unobstructed, so tall buildings, heavy woods, tunnels, mountains, and storms can all interfere with receiving a signal. We figured something had interfered with the satellites’ view of us. Later that day, after following its directions to Sea World, our faith in the system was shattered. As we passed Sea World’s clearly marked exit, we were told to continue five miles eastward and then go north. At that point, we consulted a map and turned around. Personally, I think we got someone else’s directions to an entirely different location! We were just one car among thousands of tourists using their GPS to guide them through the land of Mickey Mouse. Perhaps the system was overloaded and some other poor soul was being led to Sea Word when he probably wanted to go to the Magic Kingdom. Who knows? All I know is that I’m not getting rid of our maps anytime soon!
While we may need at least three satellites to guide our cars, we only need one God to guide our lives. Fortunately, He knows where we are all of the time, even when we don’t! That’s true for each and every one of the 7.3 billion of us. Nothing external can obstruct God’s view of us, he doesn’t lose us when we are in a valley, and his voice doesn’t weaken when we’re in a wilderness. If His signal seems weak, it has nothing to do with tall buildings or thunder storms—we’re just not listening. Moreover, whenever we’re unsure, He’s even provided us with a map in the way of the Bible.
With my GPS, I tell it where I want to go. With God, however, it’s wise to remember that He is the one who tells us where to go. Neither Abraham nor Moses knew where they were going or how they would get there, but God guided them. The disciples certainly didn’t know what the future would bring when they joined an itinerant rabbi in his travels. Have you ever looked at a map of Paul’s travels? Even a GPS would have difficulty following him as he traveled from Damascus to Arabia and back and then to Jerusalem, Caesarea, Tarsus, Antioch, Cyprus, Asia Minor and more. These men of faith, without benefit of GPS or even modern maps, went where God sent them. They never let fear keep them from taking the next step and neither should we. Unlike these Biblical heroes, most of us won’t be remembered for our travels. Nevertheless, wherever God sends us, we need to go. He is our true north—our guiding star—our compass—our guide—and we are never out of His sight.
O Lord, you have examined me, and you know me. You alone know when I sit down and when I get up. You read my thoughts from far away. You watch me when I travel and when I rest. You are familiar with all my ways. … Examine me, O God, and know my mind. Test me, and know my thoughts. See whether I am on an evil path. Then lead me on the everlasting path. [Psalm 139:1-3,23-24 (GW)]
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I don’t know about you, but I’m about ready to unplug the televisions until after the elections in November. It doesn’t matter which party or which candidate, the conduct and rhetoric has become nearly unbearable. Today’s Bible reading took me to Matthew 5 and the Beatitudes—those declarations of blessedness given by Jesus at the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount. I couldn’t help but contrast His words with the behavior of our politicians, their supporters and the news media. I then remembered A.W. Tozer’s observation that, if we were to take the Beatitudes and turn them inside out, we’d have the “very qualities which distinguish human life and conduct.”
Having been raised in the Episcopal Church, I’ve always observed Lent and practiced some sort of self-denial during the six weeks from Ash Wednesday to Easter. According to Christianity Today, nearly one in five Americans observed Lent in 2015. In a survey this year, more than 400,000 tweeted about their fasts and food or drink and technology were the most popular categories of denial.
Recently, we provided dinner for a local skateboard church ministry that serves teens and young adults. If church is a hospital for wretched souls, this one is a MASH unit for them! Most of the youth have troubled pasts and few come from faith-based homes or with any knowledge of the Bible. Many, however, have transformed their lives as they have come to know Jesus through this ministry.
Devotions of the Heart 