God’s Road Map — the Surest Way to Stay on Course

Road Map – a map, a plan or strategy intended to reach and achieve a particular goal………..A couple of weeks ago I was asked to share my favorite daily devotion with a group of new Christians. It was easy for me to share, because this “book” has been my daily “road map” all my life.

We don’t use road maps too much these days with the advent of technology and GPS systems, but I remember, even as a child, loving to hold one of those paper maps and with my finger follow along the roads that my daddy was driving to West Virginia to visit my oldest sister and her family. Then I was promoted to being the navigator, using the Atlas Map Books, as my husband & I and our ministry team traveled the U.S. and Canada in our 28 ft Winnebago. But, my navigating skills were tested to the core as we flew in our Cessna 182, as my husband’s Co-Pilot and Navigator. Flying took mapping to a whole new level as we had all kinds of other considerations besides roads. We had to consider the weather, coordinates, the wind velocity, and we used ground landmarks, shorelines, rivers, mountains, things other than just roads to consider. Of course, today, GPS systems for flying and driving changed just about everything.

If only we would be as attentive to the “road map” that God gave us for our lives. That road map is found in God’s Word, the Bible. The Bible is not just some musty old book that we can just ignore because it was written ages ago. It is the Word of God, written down by those individuals who were inspired by Him. The texts are about us and our lives, even though they are thousands of years old. Every time that we read or hear scriptures from the Bible, God speaks to us and touches us in a new way. Of course, the Bible’s most important message is God’s love for every person, including you and me.

I told the group that I’ve used the Bible as my “end all” in all the ups and downs of my life and it has never failed me. When I had been in fear – I would turn to the concordance in the back of my Bible and look up scriptures on courage; when I was sad – I would look up scriptures on joy; when I was sick, I would look up scriptures on healing. God was speaking directly to me as I read those words that were His PROMISES to us.

Now, what’s so easy and simple for us to do in this information age – no matter whether we’re carrying around a hard copy of our Bible or not, we can google scriptures on our laptops or phones: scriptures on love; scriptures on healing; scriptures on joy – and a host of scriptures will pop up.

If I had the cure for stress and worry; for sadness and pain and kept it to myself, what kind of friend would I be? I do have the cure – it’s found in our Road Map for Success in Life…..and it’s called “The Bible” – God’s Word. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve read a scripture and my perspective completely changed and the navigation I needed to go from Point A to Point B in decision making was given to me. Like a good road map, God’s Word points us to the best roads and places of insight and illumination so that God’s Spirit can shine His Light into our minds and hearts. And that “road map” NEVER needs updating. The roads, the destinations, the promises and the treasures are as sure today as at the time they were written when He illuminated them to His transcribers.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…”