One of most convenient advancements in technology is the Global Positioning System (GPS). Many cars today include a GPS system factory-installed, while others use a portable device to bring an interactive map directly to the driver. Any time there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more of the GPS satellites, the map displays an extremely accurate position that includes each potential street and avenue in the vicinity. For men, who have proven the inability to ask anyone for directions and would rather drive around for hours to find their way, GPS is a perfect compromise. Most systems even offer a choice of gender of voice, in addition to different languages.
God has given us a more important GPS (God’s Prodding System). When Christians sin, the Holy Spirit reminds us how to return to the path God has laid out before us. Sometimes, even Christians find themselves far off course, but God is certainly capable to correct that misguided course and return us to the straight and narrow path. Upon missing a turn when using a GPS in the car, the system begins recalculating the quickest correction to find the destination. God doesn’t have to recalculate, for He already knows each choice that we will make! Additionally, the user can select different options, utilizing the most direct path or even the one with the most freeways. Yet in our Christian walks, the most direct paths are rarely the ones that God desires for us. While God’s plan may not seem logical to our limited minds, we must remember that His ways are not our ways!
As Christians, we all find ourselves on roads that were not along the planned route. When the differentiation from the path comes from our own mistaken decision, God’s admonishment is not one of panic, but still, He instructs us how to get back to where He intends for us to go. The first step is repentance!
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
2 Corinthians 7:10
God has given us free will to make our own choices, and to plan our own routes. Some of those routes are in His perfect will, when we follow His plan in our lives. Others involve His permissive will, as often, God allows us to make the wrong choices. Yet He takes those wrong choices as teaching tools in each of our lives. Most of the time, we can look back and see the intersections when we chose to go the wrong way. Along with that, we can see the difficulties that occurred because of those wrong choices, hopefully, giving us the insight to make a different choice if we ever approach a similar intersection in the future.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
Sometimes, we ignore the GPS so drastically that the blue line of the planned route is no longer on the screen. Listen! God never asks for us to make turns that will not be beneficial to us, others and to Him! If you get lost, do not hesitate to stop and ask Him for directions.
“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
Joel 2:25
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