God's Positioning System

The other day, I needed the GPS to guide me to an appointment in an unfamiliar area of town. I dropped the kids off at a friend’s house and was on my way. As the voice began spouting off the first direction, I immediately questioned the direction it told me to go. As soon as the notion came to my mind, I remembered when I ignored the GPS directions to my last appointment. I ended up getting lost and was late, all because I was sure I knew better than the GPS (I mean, I am the intelligent human with a pretty good sense of direction; it is only a machine). Against my inner compass, I gave in and followed the directions from the little black box on my dashboard. Low and behold, I made it safely to my destination.

While I was driving, the thought occurred to me that I have been guilty of taking the same stance with God. When the Holy Spirit prompts me in a certain direction, there are times I insist I know a better route. Sometimes, it is because I am uncertain where that road will lead me and I do not want to be out of my comfort zone. At other times, I can’t seem to make sense of the road God has placed me on. Why is this road so bumpy at times? Shouldn’t it be smoothly paved? Don’t I deserve a nice, easy ride?

Psalm 16 is referred to as a psalm of confidence. In the psalm, David tells of God’s goodness toward him. He testifies that the Lord is his teacher and gives him good advice. He declares

"You are my Lord. Without you, I don't have anything that is good" (Psalm 16:2 NIRV).

This psalm was written at a time of uncertainty and upheaval in David’s life. Saul was in pursuit of his life, even though he had done nothing wrong against him. The prophet had anointed him to be king, yet he found himself an outcast and a fugitive of Israel. I am sure he wondered at times why this was happening to him. His own men told him he should kill Saul when he came into the cave where they were hiding. Yet David knew that was not God’s plan for him to take the kingdom in his own strength. He tells Saul he could have killed him but He will let the Lord judge him and pay him back. He trusted God to save him from Saul. (1 Samuel 24:12-14).

David chose to trust God alone, no matter the circumstances, no matter the outcome. At the conclusion of Psalm 16, he pronounces

“You always show me the path of life. You will fill me with joy when I am with you. You will make me happy forever at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11 NIRV).

At times, in our Christian walk, we come to a juncture and we need to know the direction God has for us. At other times, the road may be filled with obstacles, littered with potholes, or tied up in construction. Just like David, we need to hear God’s advice and counsel. Here is the cool part: all we have to do is turn on our GPS (God’s Positioning System). He is our creator, our Father, and friend. God says in Psalm 32:8 (NIRV)

“I will guide you and teach you the way you should go. I will give you good advice and watch over you with love.”

He will never lead us down the wrong route or leave us when the road gets rough. Although we may not always understand why he steers us on a particular road, we can be confident that He knows how to get us safely to our final destination.

Copyright © Michele McLean, used with permission.