Where Are You Going?

By Dr. John Ed Mathison
Executive Director
John Ed Mathison Leadership Ministries

When you look for guidance be sure you get good instructions.

Sabine Moreau is 67-years-old. She was going on what she thought would be a short trip, so she followed her navigation system. It sent her on a 1,800-mile detour through six countries! Sabine only intended to drive 93 miles to Brussels, but ended up in Croatia. She said, “Suddenly I appeared in Zagreb and I realized I wasn’t in Belgium anymore.”

We rely a lot on Lowrance, TomTom, Garmin, Smart phones, and other GPS navigational devices. Most of the time they are correct, but they can be faulty. I read about one elderly man who was following his navigation system and drove off of a pier into the lake!

The Bible teaches us that God wants to guide us through life. In Psalm 23 David says that God is like a shepherd who wants to guide us to the green pastures, the still waters, and the paths of righteousness. (Psalm 23:1, 2)

We can trust God’s guidance. He never sends us on a wild goose chase. He never makes mistakes when He guides. What we need to do is follow.

There was small boy who had an unusual fear of the dark. Late one evening his father asked him to go out to the barn to get some tools. The boy broke down and confessed that he was afraid of the dark.

The father gave the boy a lantern and said, “How far can you see son?” The boy said, “Well I can see to the mulberry tree.” The father said, “Good. Then go to the mulberry tree.” When the boy reached the tree the father said, “How far can you see now?” The boy replied that he could see the currant bushes. The father said, “Go to the bushes.”

As the boy reached the bushes the father asked again, “How far can you see now?” This time the boy said he could see the hen house and then finally to the barn. The father told him to proceed and the boy went step by step and made it to the barn.

When God guides us he doesn’t always show us the destination. What He expects is for us to follow Him to the next point, then continue and trust Him. It is all about trust. He knows where we need to be and He knows how to guide us there. He does it step by step.

Sometimes I get impatient and want to see the full map. God is always reminding me that it is His responsibility to guide – it is my responsibility to follow.

Technology is good. I will continue to use my GPS device, but want to remember that sometimes it can be wrong. More importantly, I am going to ask for God’s navigation system. He has never been wrong in thousands of years. He has never carried a person to where they do not need to be. He has never made a mistake.

He guides! I follow!

John Ed’s blog posts appear each Thursday on For His Glory

Contact: JAM Executive Suite 4, 4131 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106 | 334.270.2149 | info@johnedmathison.org

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