God Knows Our Location

Not too many years ago it was easy to tell if another driver was lost on a road. Not only would they be pulled over, but usually the interior of their windshield would be completely covered—with a map.

In today’s electronic world maps are almost obsolete. I still enjoy using them, however. (AAA is glad of that!) For me, there is something about seeing “the big picture” that makes me feel better—more grounded. I like being able to see where I’ve been, where I am, and where I’m going, all laid out on a paper map. I enjoy circling my destination and highlighting landmarks along the way. What I don’t like is folding it back together—I never could master that!

Nowadays most people have a GPS (Global Positioning System) of some sort. These remarkable devices can quickly spot our location and tell us how to get to where we want to go. They can immediately display the restaurants, gas stations, and points of interest in the area, too. These little gadgets are amazing. We’ve selected a lady’s voice for ours and she quickly gets on my nerves when she tells me to “turn around,” or to “make a U-turn, if allowed.” (As if I didn’t know I just blew it.) And I’ve learned, too, not to completely trust her as she has been wrong on more than one occasion.

Along with using a map and a GPS, I also like to print out the directions from online map sites. So if you haven’t realized it by now, getting lost scares me. As my dear friend and ex-columnist of the newspapers that this column appears in, Faye Landrum, used to say, “Getting lost with a friend is an adventure; getting lost alone can be a nightmare.” Faye was always the optimistic one. I have never thought of getting lost as an adventure, whether I am with someone or not.

But during those times when I am lost, what helps ease my fears the most is to remember that God knows where I am. He knows my physical location; He has not lost sight of me. I can still talk to Him, and I do. I ask Him for wisdom and to show me the way. I ask Him to calm my fears, help me to stay clear-thinking, and to keep me safe until I can get turned around or get my bearings. He always comes through—every time.

For Christians, it’s the same principle when we feel spiritually lost. When we remember that our all-knowing, all-loving, and all-caring Father is there for us, we can cry out to Him and ask Him to show us the way. He will. His directions may include making a U-turn in life—but unlike the GPS lady, God will never point us in the wrong direction. His way is always best.

From the moment we invite Jesus into our heart and choose to live our life for Him, we have the most wonderful GPS available to man—God’s Power Source—the Holy Spirit. Let’s not forget to stay plugged in. He has our best interests at heart and won’t mislead us.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105).