Navigating New Territory

Psalm 16:11 – You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. (AMP)

It all seemed as clear as mud to me when my husband Ron and I traced our upcoming journey to the Buffalo and Niagara Falls area on the kitchen table. The map's blue lines and red squiggles didn't look much like real places to me. I couldn't tell top from bottom, let alone north from south! Funnily enough, once we got to our destination, it didn't seem hard at all. Ron has a great sense of direction and always knows where he is, but even my poor navigational skills improved when I could actually see street signs and highway markings. It is one thing to hear about a place and quite another to see it for ourselves.

I began to think about how often I am content to hear God's Word preached from the pulpit and quite unwilling to check the Scriptures and the pastor's notes for myself. Hearing about God from someone else is like my trusting the unknown territory on that road map. I am trusting that the mapmaker didn't make a mistake. Certainly we value our Christian leaders. However, when we seek truth for ourselves, the road we travel on will be clearer, the buildings larger, and the landscape more easily recognized.

Prayer: Lord, give us courage to read Your Word for ourselves. Then, Lord, make it clear to our hearts and our feet. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.