My phone’s GPS rerouted me around some construction when I was in Atlanta last month. Grateful to not have to sit in additional traffic, I marveled at the days when I printed out a step-by-step map ahead of time, subject to whatever obstacles I’d find along the way. Or the spiral bound map books in large cities that continued on non-consecutive pages. And before my own driving days, we relied on the big atlas maps that didn’t fit in the glove compartment.
We’ve come a long way from outdated printed maps. Some cars now come with a built-in GPS system, which is a moot point in some places in Latin America where a point of reference is more accurate than a physical address.
Without making any gender generalities, there are those who will stop and ask for directions, and those who will stubbornly insist that they know where they are going.
And while some of you would now like to point your finger at a man in your life who refuses to ask for directions, I invite you to carry the application over to our spiritual journey…
We have no cosmic GPS directing our path with a booming voice or British accent. Nor are we subject to the whims of a puppeteer who determines our every movement.
We would be foolish to follow blind guides (Matt. 23) or guides who were unfamiliar with the path to be traveled.
Rather, God, in his infinite wisdom, has provided us with his Word and his Spirit as guides that we can choose to follow or not.
John 16:13 refers to the Holy Spirit as the one to guide us into all truth. And who better to guide us than our loving, all-knowing Father and Creator?
We may prefer a detailed roadmap, but just as I trust the GPS on my phone to reroute me when there is trouble ahead, I must stay in tune with the GHS (Guidance of the Holy Spirit) to direct my steps to the Father.