What? You forgot the map

For the Lord watches over all the plans and paths of Godly men. Psalm 1:6

The Bible speaks often of God watching over our path. It says He guides us along the right path, shines his light on our path.

I am picturing a guy on a hike. Let’s say he’s climbing a mountain. What is one of the most important things he should take? Food? Water? A Granola bar? He might survive off the land if necessary. What he really needs is a good, accurate map. Better yet, a guide. Someone who has made the climb before.

My wife trekked in Nepal and she suffered a heat stroke. A fellow trekker, a man of large stature, injured his knee. They could have died, in fact, it’s a miracle they survived. You don’t just call for a helicopter to lift you out.

And what was the cause of the problem? A faulty map. Outdated information. It had not been updated to show places where the trail was washed out. It did not show terrain that was impassable due to recent landslides.  A hike that should have taken eight hours took eighteen and could have ended in tragedy.

Our Christian life is like a journey. It’s a trek. It takes us over dangerous terrain we’ve not traveled before. Without a map, without a guide, we are hopelessly lost.

God has given us his Word which is our map. It shows the path that leads to life. It shows us pitfalls to avoid. It shows us where to rest and take refuge. It is our compass, our flashlight. It’s like a Swiss army knife. Whatever tool you need, you’ve got!

But not only do we have a map, we have a guide. The Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth, and strengthens us for the journey. He knows what lurks around the next bend in the trail.

So when we come to a fork in the road, we can be confident He will guide us along the right path.