GPS

Ah, the wonders of modern technology. They never cease to amaze me. There is nothing more amazing to me than pushing a little icon on my smart phone, inputting an address in a city I’ve spent no time in, and this pleasant voice comes on to gently guide me turn after turn until I arrive at my destination. She can tell me whether or not there is heavy traffic; detours to avoid, and even give me several different options as to routes. She is my Global Positioning Satellite Representative! 

No more maps, no more need for magnifying lenses to see the tiniest of print. No more arguments with someone in the car who gives directions based upon their interpretation of the map as you drive; only to find out you went two miles out of your way. No more cursing or throwing objects as you realize that the map you are looking at is ten years old and the road you are looking for no longer exists. No more getting honked at, cussed at by unforgiving individuals who have never lost their way. It is precise and as up to date as the moment you turn it on.

I love to travel, but traveling to new places, especially alone can be somewhat daunting. Case in point… I was recently in Boston, a city I have no experience navigating. I hate the feeling of being lost or unsure about where I am. I have photographic memory. Once I go somewhere, I could come back twenty years later and remember ever little detail (as long as it hasn’t changed too much) and go directly to a place as if I just went there. But Boston was unexplored territory for me. My hotel was on State Street almost at the harbor and looking at the map, coming from the Logan airport seemed a bit daunting. My GPS got me there flawlessly. She repeated the next move several times. There was a moment of trepidation as I went in a long tunnel underneath the harbor from East Boston. She stopped talking to me. There was no more GPS. I was a little worried as when I came out there were several options, but only one I was supposed to take, and the others would have taken me way out of my way. But just as I came out from the tunnel, and only about 200 feet from my turn, she spoke! I was so relieved.

The next day, as I made my way through Boston, I needed to get somewhere specific, but the streets were a little confusing as some of them are close to 300 years old. They wind around much like European streets. As her voice came on with my first instruction and she took me exactly where I needed to go, I thought to myself, “Man I wish I could hear God’s voice like that instructing me moment-by-moment, turn by turn, just like my GPS.” How nice it would be to avoid the hazards and pitfalls, and quite honestly, the traps laid out to knock you off course from accomplishing His purposes for your life. Why can’t it be THIS EASY? After all, there are a lot of voices out there as well as signs constantly prodding us to go this way or that. But God knows all the shortcuts. As I walked on I thought about the amazing reality that a satellite in space picks up my signal, tracks me precisely and guides me. But the limitation is that it can’t protect me. It doesn’t even know my name. So as precise as this is, how much more is God! He knows every detail of who I am. Things I may never know about myself, He does. At that moment I thought, wait a minute, the acronym G… P… S! God’s Protective Services! Perfect… that’s it! All I have to do is stay connected, and unlike the one in my hand that when the battery goes dead you’re out of luck, His is continual and only requires my personal interaction. It’s that simple.

Yes, I know God is not at our every beck and call, but I also know that He is watching over me and keenly aware of not only my every step, but also my next move and my future moves. He wants me to get it right; to arrive at my destination, especially the one He has for me… even more than I do.

But the question remains… why can’t He just tell us? Why can’t we hear Him like my GPS girlfriend, or whomever He sends us on His behalf say, “In 220 feet, your destination is on the right” or “In 1.2 miles turn left on Straight Street and then go .5 miles and turn right on...” Why is it we have to make so many wrong turns along the way that could have easily been avoided had He just made it crystal clear?

The conveniences of modern technology are astounding. They are precise, taking away all the guesswork. But maybe that’s the point. We would never walk by faith if everything were all laid out for us! There’d be no need for it. It would be as impersonal and robotic as the voice on my GPS. What kind of life would that be? Not a very exciting one, that’s for sure. After all, that is what makes us unique. Walking by faith and not by sight.

I am extremely grateful for my Sprint service that provides me with my GPS. It made Boston a breeze. But for me, when it comes to the matters of life and the decisions that really count, though walking by faith is far more challenging and difficult… the reward of arriving at my appointed destination has a profound and extremely long lasting level of satisfaction that comes with it. It won’t just be my GPS saying I am done shutting down, but ultimately God Himself saying, “Welcome Home!” I’m so thankful for the relationship I have with God through the sacrifice of His Son that has provided me with His GPS. Though it doesn’t come with detailed instructions for getting me there, it keeps me safe along the way as I take each step trusting Him.

To You they cried out and were delivered,

in You they trusted and were not disappointed.

Psalm 22:5

© 2011 Steven Bliss
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