GOD’S WORD GUIDES US ON OUR JOURNEY OF LIFE
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“One road leads home and a thousand roads lead into the wilderness.” — C.S. Lewis —
Any long trip requires a map to guide us to our destination. The Bible is our map for life. We are merely travelers, sojourners, here on earth (Psalm 119:19). As we study God’s Word, we learn the best route to follow along on our journey.
The Bible, God’s divine road map for us, points us along the optimum and safest route. Our God leads us along scenic byways. He shows us obstacles to avoid. He warns us against wrong turns, detours, dead ends and dangers along the way. And He guides us to our final destination.
“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” — Lewis Carroll
We can choose to follow God’s map… or we can go our own way. If we ignore His directions, we will find ourselves wandering aimlessly through life. We risk getting lost… or even missing our eternal destination. God longs for us to follow His way and His Word.
“Be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.” — Deuteronomy 5:32
- The Bible is… the moral compass for our journey. It guides us along the right roads and alerts us to wrong directions. We avoid stops along the way that are not in our best interests or could lead us into dangerous territory. We learn to follow in the way of Jesus.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” — 2 Timothy 3:16
- The Bible is… God-breathed and Spirit inspired. God’s map has no mistakes. When we study His map for our lives, He instructs us in the ideal way to go, convicts us when we get off course and corrects our wanderings. We stay within the boundary of His blessing.
“The revelation of Your words brings light.” — Psalm 119:130
- The Bible is… the light for our journey. Without His light, we cannot see our way. We need His light to shine forth in the darkness. His Word shows us hazards and dangers to avoid. He lights up the road before us and makes our way clear.
“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.” — John 16:13
- The Bible is… God’s revelation to us, illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Since it is God’s Truth, we can trust it completely. He shows us the terrain ahead… the mountains, the hills, the valleys … and we discover the smooth and level road for our lives.
“The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” — Psalm 19:7
- The Bible is… our source of wisdom. We need wisdom for our journey… to discern the right road to follow and to not be waylaid or distracted. God’s map gives us this wisdom. Often, He leads us along roads less traveled. Yet we know He is always with us. He will give us directions at the intersections of life from His heavenly perspective.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.” — Psalm 19:7
- The Bible is… God’s Word to us. Following His map will restore our souls. He leads us to places of rest, refreshment and joy along our journey. If we speed through life, caught up in its busyness, we will miss the abundant life He has for us. Without Him as our guide, we will pass by the many scenic viewpoints and vistas He plans along our route.
“Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” — John 5:24
- The Bible is… the map to eternal life. We study God’s map to find out where we are and where we want to be. Through His Word we come to believe in Christ. We cross the bridge from death to life everlasting. Our sovereign God guides us to our heavenly destination.
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” — Isaiah 48:17
The future of our journey is unknown. Yet God has His will, His way planned out for us. His desire is for us to enjoy the ride. We may pass through unfamiliar places, along unknown routes. Yet we need never be afraid, for our God is always with us. He has given us His road map for our lives so we do not lose our way. When we follow His divine map, the Bible, on our journey of life, we will safely reach our heavenly destination.