HOW IMPORTANT ARE MAPS?

Give me a map and I can find my way almost anywhere, as long as the map is up-to-date and easy to read. God’s Word—our map for life—is as up-to-date now as it was when written centuries ago. And with help from the Holy Spirit, church leaders, and prayer, His directions become clearer as we mature. We cannot go wrong with His map.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES  by Sally Bair

Lost

Lost Creek Falls, located in a thick forest near Lake Superior, truly was lost to us. Our plan was to follow Dave, who had been there many years before, and eat a leisurely lunch at the falls. We would then head back home before dark.

Confident about leading us to Lost Creek Falls, Dave didn’t think a compass was necessary. The other three of us didn’t either, accepting his assuring words. We hadn’t gone far before Dave realized, to his great surprise, that the woods had changed drastically over the years. He could no longer recognize the old trail. We followed our leader blindly, scaling hills and windfalls, ducking under tree limbs and under vines, stumbling over tussocks and hidden stumps. By lunchtime we were exhausted and hungry, but not anywhere near the falls. In fact, soon after, we found ourselves right back where we started! 

A heated discussion ensued. Not ready to give up, however, we decided to try again. After several more hours we finally found Lost Creek Falls, just in time to turn back so we could reach our vehicle before dark.

Life is sometimes like that trip in the forest. We choose a leader or guide who turns out to be unreliable, or we forget our compass or directions and end up traveling in circles. Worse, if we’re not careful, we can become perpetually lost. We might choose from a variety of dead-end paths. To name a few: busyness, self-centeredness, unhealthy grief, hopelessness, pride, the love of money, overly-dependent attachments to others.

God doesn’t want us to veer off His reliable path. He wants us to choose Him as our leader, our guide. Such a choice will help us eventually, unerringly reach the destination He has promised – life eternal with Him. And along the way we will experience peace and joy and love beyond anything we could imagine.

The Bible is filled with admonitions about not falling away from God’s path. 1 John 3:11 says:  “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.” The familiar Twenty-Third Psalm assures us that “The Lord is my shepherd…he guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Such a faithful promise will keep us from becoming lost and bring us straight to His destination.

Lord, forgive us for the times we’ve taken the wrong path and ended up in trouble. Guide us back to the path of righteousness and give us the desire and will to follow Your ways rather than the ways of the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.