“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Remember the days of paper maps… the folded kind that never quite went back to form after you unfurled it in the car? I remember calculating the red and black numbers between intersections so I knew how far I had to travel between turns. We didn’t have the luxury of the computer voice telling us, “Turn left in 2 miles.” When you did miss a turn or accidentally take a wrong turn, it often went unnoticed until you passed a sign or road indicator or even came upon a town you weren’t supposed to pass through.
I remember a friend traveling to Denver once who was jamming out to music in the car and before he knew it, he was only miles away from Cheyenne, Wyoming! Was it the map’s fault? No… they were extremely accurate! Often it was the result of not clearly paying attention, or sometimes completely disregarding the tool that was designed to help instruct us on where to go and how to get there.
The Holy Bible is God’s map for us. It speaks to his character, his love, his creation, and ultimately his plans for you and me. All of it is laid out in the 66 books inspired by God himself that are not only true and trustworthy but easily accessible to us. The Bible not only guides us along paths of righteousness, it can inform us when we go astray. That is if we let it do what it was designed by God. Too often, we ignore God’s word and ultimately his truth for us and go our own way. That leads to wrong turns and destinations that take us far away from where God desires us to be.
The best part? Unlike when you take a wrong turn while following a map that takes you MILES out of your way, God’s path is often accessed by simply turning around (the definition of repentance).
So turn around this week and allow God’s word to guide you! Or else you might end up in Cheyenne instead of Denver.
Questions for reflection:
- Think about the last time, maybe even today, that you found yourself on a wrong path that didn’t lead you to where God wanted you to be… How did you end up there? What patterns or behaviors were prevalent during that time?
- How does the Bible reveal not only God’s truth but his plans for his people?