When it comes to God's will, many of us want the GPS version of God, hopefully with a turn-by-turn British-American voice prompting us at every intersection. Sometimes God gives people very specific instructions, mapping out what they are to do in detail, but this is rare. The world, however, is a map factory. It continually bombards us with plans for success, agendas both personal and political and road signs that read "happiness just ahead." Most maps lead toward pwersonal gratification and status or just loop back to the status-quo.
A map is very appealing to a person looking for direction. But the map is an easy way out. It appeals to the lazy (ouch!). God gives people direction more than directions. He will not rob you of the faith-building experience of obeying Him based on what He says, not on what you see. We cannot expect to get all the detailed instructions before we are willing to begin traveling the path. The Bible doesn't lay out a "map." It gives us a "compass." God calls you to join Him in journeying in a steady direction toward a grand global destiny. He is calling us to follow a compass and to evaluate any maps that come our way by His over-arching purpose.
There's more to the article, but I'm not going to type it out. But it really speaks to what's going on in my life now. I think God's testing my ability to follow Him right now and the compass I see is pointing to the glory of Jesus being understood by people. I'm trying to understand how to head that way and I think I'm going to be taking a route that God hasn't specifically laid out on a map for me, but I trust that He's with me and is fully willing to help me navigate towards His purposes.
Will you join me? Not on my specific route necessarily, but in being willing to head towards God's purposes - gospel and glory of God being known - trusting God enough to not need a map?
