God's Positioning System

By Michele McLean
CBN Staff Writer

CBN.com – The dealership where we bought our new car gave us a free GPS (Global Positioning System) with our purchase. It’s pretty cool and my husband loves using it. I like to believe I was born with an inner compass and natural sense of direction, so I only use it when I haven’t a clue where I am going.

The other day I found myself in need of 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 the last appointment I had. I had 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 out of 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 when I insist that 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" (vs.2).

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 that leads to life. You will fill me with joy when I am with you. You will give me endless pleasures at your right hand.”

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 pot holes, 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,

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

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.

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