Finding God’s Word in the GPS

I had to travel recently for business, and my rental car reminded me of my relationship to God.

Not the car itself, but the cool piece of technology that is part Global Positioning System, part Mother Hen. When you type into the navigation system the address of the place you want to go, a pleasant-sounding woman talks you through the directions, illustrating her guidance with this neat-o electronic map.

Now I realize that people use onboard navigation systems every day, but this was all exciting and new for me. The vehicle I drive on my daily trek to work has crank windows, manual locks and a ticker-tape odometer. I don’t have a lot of experience with an electronic cruise director. In fact, the last time I rented a car with that feature, I had to turn it off and – kids, cover your ears – stop and ask for directions because I got so flummoxed by its instructions.

But this trip was a different story. When I disembarked from my plane on a rainy night, knowing that I had to drive about 30 miles to my hotel on strange interstates (OK, that’s not quite an accurate description. They were not “strange.” “Unfamiliar,” perhaps, but otherwise quite ordinary), I wasn’t too excited about trying to read my crinkled Map Quest printout while fumbling with the map light in a strange car (OK, again, “not my usual car,” but otherwise nothing “strange” about it). I decided to give the gadget a go.

I had trouble using it at first. I failed to notice all the electronic signals it gave me. When the pleasant-sounding woman wanted me to turn right, “now,” I didn’t think she meant, “now.” I missed a turn, and wound up going west on the interstate, when my electronic friend wanted me to go east. By the time I realized I had messed it up, and started figuring how to get back, the device’s pleasant voice assured me it was “recalculating route.” In a couple seconds, she told me again where to turn and how to get back on track. Once I did that, I was back on my route.

Because of my skillful adherence to her revised instructions, there was a part of me hoping she would exclaim, “Great job, you are now driving toward your destination!” But her affirmation was more subtle than that. About 10 miles later, she told me to stay left for exit 165. Apparently, I was back in her good graces.

That’s what I first thought that this machine was kind of like my relationship with God.

He knows where I should be going. He’s mapped out my route and calculated how long I need to travel. But a funny thing happens when I get behind the wheel of my life. I invariably get distracted, take a wrong turn, say something I shouldn’t or don’t do something I should. Sometimes I have found myself WAY off track. But each time, I envision He patiently recalculates my route so I can extract myself from the swamp I’ve driven into. But it’s up to me to follow those directions and get back to my original route.

I was a bit surprised Sunday when the pastor preached about car navigation systems, too. Apparently, whoever wrote the letter to the Hebrews was also concerned that the church had a tendency to ignore the navigation guidance that it had been given. But the writer stresses that the directions were clear, complete and built entirely on the grace of salvation offered through Jesus Christ.

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” Hebrews 2:1-4 NIV

It constantly amazes me that my own problems have precedence thousands of years earlier. It’s somehow comforting to know that even if I had an electronic navigation system back then, I could still get lost. Just like I get lost even when I have thousands of years of divine wisdom at the ready.

What generally causes you to fall off track?

Tomorrow: Intentional Misdirection