Last week found me traveling up to Buffalo, NY for our District Prayer Conference. Having been up to Buffalo a couple times, I pretty much know the way. I could bore you with details about which particular highway’s I took, but I won’t do that. Let me simply tell you that I opted for a way that was longer, but a way where I wouldn’t need the GPS. It also kept me on major highways where I could cruise along at a good clip which is my preference. Well, it just so happened that a couple days after I got back from the conference, I actually looked at the map. Most people look at maps before they go on trips, but not me this time, and I realized there was a way I could stay on major roads and still cut close to 20 miles off my trip. It was the best of both worlds, but I wasn’t aware of it at the time. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed in myself, but I’ll know for next I head up that way.

This got me to thinking about life in general. As Christians, we know that God has given us a roadmap for life. This map tells us everything that we need to know, yet all too often we rely on our own intuitions, our own wisdom, and our knowledge. Like me on my trip last week, sometimes we get by with this strategy. It might take us a little longer to get where we want to go, but with a little effort and skill and even luck, we are able to enjoy success in this world. The problem is that over the long haul, this strategy of ignoring God’s instructions for life is doomed to fail. Plain and simple, it cannot succeed.

Of course, the roadmap for life I am speaking of is the Bible, God’s Word. Following His instructions might not always be easy and convenient, but it is guaranteed to help in the present and secure our eternal happiness. Dear reader, do you find yourself consulting yourself more than God? In this day and age, there are so many ways to live life independent from others, but you and I know that island living is a recipe for disaster. My encouragement to you today is to seek God with all you heart (Matthew 6:33) and to seek Him through His Word. You will find the directions for life and you so desperately need and long for. Happy travels!

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21).