Our GPS System
Last weekend my friend, Stephenie and I went to Birmingham to a Women's Conference. Numerous road trips in which the GPS led us astray made us decide to use an internet search engine's map and directions to help us reach our destination.
A few months earlier we had traveled to Birmingham and had great success using the same method-this time however, was a somewhat different. One time we were trying to get to an outlet mall in Leeds (a nearby town) but instead the directions led to us to a completely different area. Although it was not our intended point we found a delightful surprise - the unintended destination had a fabulous gourmet burger restaurant.
Our attempt to travel to our hotel on Thursday night was an adventure-to say the least. If you have never traveled downtown Birmingham, let me tell you the streets are crazy. The street numbers are strange and most all were one way. The directions to the hotel were leading us in familiar territory, but suddenly we veered off course. Now when I say veered off course, that is somewhat of an understatement. We made a wrong turn and next thing we know we are in a completely different end of town-the scary end. As two ladies traveling alone in an undesirable area we were beginning to panic. Out came our mace, to offer protection against any would be be car jacker or unsavory character.
That however didn't seem to calm us nor was it it helping us find our intended destination so I decided that we needed to call the hotel. That poor, poor man that answered the phone had NO idea what the next few minutes held in store for him. First let me tell you his English was slightly difficult to understand, however I am certain he thought my hysterical Southern accent was just as challenging!! I quickly informed him that we had reservations but we were lost as we could be and I needed him to help me get to the hotel. He was so nice as I told him where we were, to which he responded, "You will need to turn around." Unfortunately we were on a one way street that provided no adjoining street for us to even make a block. As my friend, Stephenie, drove I began to relay the information to her, but we found no way that we could "turn around." Our attempts to make a block even failed taking us right back in the same direction. Suddenly I screamed, "I am so afraid that we are getting into a really bad part of town!!!!!" The hotel clerk in his broken English said, "Oh, mam, I fear you are too. You must turn around." Not the most comforting thing to say to two hysterical women. With his help we did finally reach our destination safe and sound.
I tell you this lengthy story because I wonder how often there are similarities in our journey that weekend and our obedience to God and His direction for our life. In the first instance, we followed the written directions but ended up in a different location than we intended. Yet there we found a pleasant surprise in the restaurant. In our spiritual life we follow God's directions sometimes and hope that He will lead us to a place that WE want, but find our destination or our situation is far away from what we would have planned. If you asked a crowd of women, "Did life turn out like you had dreamed it would?" Most would tell you that their life is very different than that which they had envisioned. The journey with God may have taken us to a very different place-even a difficult place- than we would have chosen for ourselves, but all along the way there have been hidden blessings and treasures from Him. Perhaps you have failed to see the blessings-take a closer look and see His Hand of provision, healing or strength.
In our trip to the hotel we veered off course and ended up in some pretty unsavory territory. Spiritually, how often do we turn away from the instruction given us in God's Word and in disobedience find ourselves in harm's way. God has provided His Word to us as road map, so to speak, to help us continually move toward Him, however we end up being disobedient and moving away from Him. We decide that we can figure it out by ourselves.
David, the man after God's own heart, who sought God's guidance had several instances where he veered from God's commands. One example ( 2 Samuel 6) is when David longed to bring the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the very presence of God back to Jerusalem. He hitched up a new cart and plopped the Ark right on top. What started out with great excitement turned quickly to great sorrow as the oxen pulling the cart stumbled and a man walking beside the cart reached up to steady the Ark and fell dead. David was initially angry and then afraid. Why had this happened-his intentions had been the best? It happened because he failed to obey the instructions God had given (Ex 25:10-22) regarding how the Ark was to be transported and because of that disobedience things ended very badly. God was more concerned about David's obedience than his "good intentions." God is unchanging-today He is concerned with our obedience to His Word.
In our lives we need to allow God and His Word to be what navigates our course. We need to make sure that our lives line up with God's instruction to us and realize that our view is limited, but His view of our lives is eternal and comprehensive. May the words of the psalmist be our prayer,
A few months earlier we had traveled to Birmingham and had great success using the same method-this time however, was a somewhat different. One time we were trying to get to an outlet mall in Leeds (a nearby town) but instead the directions led to us to a completely different area. Although it was not our intended point we found a delightful surprise - the unintended destination had a fabulous gourmet burger restaurant.
Our attempt to travel to our hotel on Thursday night was an adventure-to say the least. If you have never traveled downtown Birmingham, let me tell you the streets are crazy. The street numbers are strange and most all were one way. The directions to the hotel were leading us in familiar territory, but suddenly we veered off course. Now when I say veered off course, that is somewhat of an understatement. We made a wrong turn and next thing we know we are in a completely different end of town-the scary end. As two ladies traveling alone in an undesirable area we were beginning to panic. Out came our mace, to offer protection against any would be be car jacker or unsavory character.
That however didn't seem to calm us nor was it it helping us find our intended destination so I decided that we needed to call the hotel. That poor, poor man that answered the phone had NO idea what the next few minutes held in store for him. First let me tell you his English was slightly difficult to understand, however I am certain he thought my hysterical Southern accent was just as challenging!! I quickly informed him that we had reservations but we were lost as we could be and I needed him to help me get to the hotel. He was so nice as I told him where we were, to which he responded, "You will need to turn around." Unfortunately we were on a one way street that provided no adjoining street for us to even make a block. As my friend, Stephenie, drove I began to relay the information to her, but we found no way that we could "turn around." Our attempts to make a block even failed taking us right back in the same direction. Suddenly I screamed, "I am so afraid that we are getting into a really bad part of town!!!!!" The hotel clerk in his broken English said, "Oh, mam, I fear you are too. You must turn around." Not the most comforting thing to say to two hysterical women. With his help we did finally reach our destination safe and sound.
I tell you this lengthy story because I wonder how often there are similarities in our journey that weekend and our obedience to God and His direction for our life. In the first instance, we followed the written directions but ended up in a different location than we intended. Yet there we found a pleasant surprise in the restaurant. In our spiritual life we follow God's directions sometimes and hope that He will lead us to a place that WE want, but find our destination or our situation is far away from what we would have planned. If you asked a crowd of women, "Did life turn out like you had dreamed it would?" Most would tell you that their life is very different than that which they had envisioned. The journey with God may have taken us to a very different place-even a difficult place- than we would have chosen for ourselves, but all along the way there have been hidden blessings and treasures from Him. Perhaps you have failed to see the blessings-take a closer look and see His Hand of provision, healing or strength.
In our trip to the hotel we veered off course and ended up in some pretty unsavory territory. Spiritually, how often do we turn away from the instruction given us in God's Word and in disobedience find ourselves in harm's way. God has provided His Word to us as road map, so to speak, to help us continually move toward Him, however we end up being disobedient and moving away from Him. We decide that we can figure it out by ourselves.
David, the man after God's own heart, who sought God's guidance had several instances where he veered from God's commands. One example ( 2 Samuel 6) is when David longed to bring the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the very presence of God back to Jerusalem. He hitched up a new cart and plopped the Ark right on top. What started out with great excitement turned quickly to great sorrow as the oxen pulling the cart stumbled and a man walking beside the cart reached up to steady the Ark and fell dead. David was initially angry and then afraid. Why had this happened-his intentions had been the best? It happened because he failed to obey the instructions God had given (Ex 25:10-22) regarding how the Ark was to be transported and because of that disobedience things ended very badly. God was more concerned about David's obedience than his "good intentions." God is unchanging-today He is concerned with our obedience to His Word.
In our lives we need to allow God and His Word to be what navigates our course. We need to make sure that our lives line up with God's instruction to us and realize that our view is limited, but His view of our lives is eternal and comprehensive. May the words of the psalmist be our prayer,
" Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your Word," (Ps 119:37)
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