Using Your Compass
Have you ever been hiking and found yourself lost? Maybe you intentionally veered off the path, hoping to explore the deepest parts of the forest. And since you’ve been on this path many times before you are certain you can find your way back out without getting lost. Or it could be you thought you were following the intended path, only to realize you somehow got off that path and now you find yourself far from where you want to be. You are in very unfamiliar territory.
In either situation, being lost, all alone, and off the marked path leads to worry, confusion and panic, maybe even hopelessness. Foolishly, you left your compass in the car. What’s that noise rustling in the leaves? Is that a bear I hear off in the distance? Oh no, this deep in the woods, no cell service! You begin trying to retrace your steps but soon realize that you’ve passed the same rock more than once. You seem to be getting nowhere fast and begin to wonder if you will get out safely.
As an experienced hiker you know it is ill-advised to hike alone and without your trusty compass, but since you hiked these woods hundreds of times, you had confidence in your own abilities rather than relying on the navigational tools available to you. You are angry with yourself for being so foolish. However, at this moment your only thoughts are on getting back out of the woods.
In life we sometimes find ourselves lost and off the chosen path. I have been there and so have you. That is just the reality of our sinful nature. Simply put, we strayed from God. It could be we willingly chose a different path, our own path, or it could be we somehow drifted there, little by little, almost unnoticed, until we found ourselves some place we did not want to be.
The prophet Jeremiah gave instructions to the nation of Judah, who had strayed from the Lord to make their own way. These same instructions apply to you and to me today. Here is what we read in Jeremiah 6:16 – “Thus says the LORD: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’”
So, right now, if you are lost or uncertain, rather than keep wandering, hoping to find daylight, stop right where you are, admit that you are lost. Repent (turn towards God), and trust Him, your good and trusty compass, to show you His way. It might not be the easiest way, but it will be the best way!
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