Sugar Fast Day 38
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
(Psalm 119:105)
Remember when we used to use paper maps? You probably had a stack of them in the glove compartment or tucked away in the side pocket of your car door. When preparing for a trip you visited the AAA to pick up a map of your destination. For longer trips the AAA would even mark out your route on the map for you (remember Trip Tiks?). All you had to do was follow the route on the roadmap.
Today, paper maps have be replaced by GPS. Simply type your destination into your phone or car and away you go. No need to actually know how to get anywhere; no need to think about it. But have you ever plugged your destination into your phone’s GPS, followed it faithfully only to get lost, arrive someplace else or, worse, hear the dreaded word “re-calculating”? Paper maps taught us to study and understand the route we took, not travel blindly.
The Roadmap
As a Christian you also have a roadmap for life—the Bible. But, just like those paper maps, you have to learn to read it. Time in God’s word is essential for staying on the path and getting to where you want to be. Unlike GPS, your roadmap doesn’t need to be updated…EVER. God’s word is the same yesterday, today and forever. You never have to worry about whether the map is accurate.
Isn’t it comforting to know that you have a map for life; a “north star” that will always guide you in the right direction? Yet it isn’t enough to simply have the map. You must trust and come to the map with an open heart, believing it will get you to the proper destination.
With only a couple days left on my sugar fast I am very comforted to know that I don’t have to have all the answers going forward. My Bible provides guidance. The Holy Spirit is my helper in this life. Moving forward is less about my willpower and ability to make good choices and more about relying on the strength of God. I don’t have to be nervous about what lies ahead. I have GPS for life.