Thursday, February 17, 2011

Know the Terrain....

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Psalm 119:105


2.  Know the Terrain - Get a map!
Know the terrain you will be in.


When we left Seattle and headed for Phoenix, we had an atlas that we used to map our trip. We checked out different highways and routes to see which ones would be the quickest, or the most scenic, or the safest. As we got to the end of the road on one page, we would simply turn the page and pick up the route on the next page. We used that atlas until the pages are worn and tattered. We knew which page to turn to as we crossed from Washington into Oregon, and again from Oregon into California. We knew which page to look at when we approached Hoover Dam and as we crossed into Arizona. And if perchance, we took a wrong turn, we would just go back to the page with the last place we knew we were right and correct our error....or find a new road to get us back to where we belonged. And trust me....at 3am in the pitch black darkness of a barren Nevada desert.....that's no easy feat!

How many times have you traveled through life wishing you had an atlas? Something that would show you where the road you are on goes, let you know if you are on the right road, get you back on track when you've made a wrong turn, or simply point you in the right direction. While God doesn’t give us an atlas that shows us the entire route our lives will take, He does give us step by step instructions…one day at a time, one step at a time.


Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105

The Bible is our road map.

His Word shows us the way to live, the way to serve, the way to treat others, the way to shine His light in a dark world. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, "Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us." (msg).  Every word is training us to live God's way.

His Word tells us how to dress for the journey. "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:14-17). From head to toe, His word tells us what we will need to wear in order to be prepared for the journey, but also to face an enemy.

His Word tells us when to rest and leads us to quiet waters to replenish our dry and thirsty souls. Psalm 23:2,3  "You have bedded me down in lush meadows, You find me quiet pools to drink from. True to Your word, You let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction". (msg) There are times when we just need to stop and take a breather...a sabbath as it were. His Word shows us how to be quiet and drink from His living water. And when we are ready to go again, He points us in the right direction.
 
His Word is truth. If we listen to His Word, we cannot be deceived by the enemy. John 16:13 say, "But...the Spirit of truth...will guide you into all the truth." (niv).

We have the Word of God as our road map with the Holy Spirit as our personal guide. I like the way the Message puts Isaiah 42:16..

"But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way,
who can't see where they're going.
I'll be a personal guide to them,
directing them through unknown country.
I'll be right there to show them what roads to take,
make sure they don't fall into the ditch.
These are the things I'll be doing for them—
sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute."  
 
So, if you are looking for a road map to get you through this life, pick up your Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. He'll never leave you for a minute!
 
Next.... Communication May Be Difficult!

2 comments:

Walt Kerr said...

Thank you Lena for this good word. I needed to hear this today and it blessed me.

Walt Kerr said...

Thank you Lena for this good word. I needed to hear this today. God bless you.