A majestic Stork in flight, ready to migrate for the winter. It will fly hundreds, probably thousands, of miles without a compass: and, provided it survives, it will return in the late Spring to the exact nesting site it has used for several years. A marvel of navigation! We aren’t sure how birds manage this- something to do with the Sun, gravity or some electro-magnetic force- probably. It looks so easy. Yet it is one of the wonders of the world.
Our turn. Migrating home from a conference. I have a new device to guide me: it will show me the route, point out traffic queues, tell me which turning to take and the correct exit on roundabouts. Easy. Switch it on… connect car & phone… tap on destination… say “go” and drive from Milton Keynes to Bognor Regis avoiding the worst traffic and all the motorways. So easy!
When I started driving (Henry Ford was a wee lad) we had paper maps to navigate by. Or, if we belonged to the R.A.C., we could ask them to prepare a route to follow. Within a few days, a postman (remember them?) delivered an envelope containing the detailed route. On the journey, the front seat passenger held the map and the R.A.C. sheet, and told the driver where to go. This was before mobiles and satellite navigation, so once driving you had to trust the map and hope there were no roadworks or traffic jams. Surprisingly frequently, we arrived in the right place! What a palaver.
I like my new driving guide. A journey of over 110 miles, every twist, turn and shortcut all calculated almost instantly. It even calculated how long the journey should take… and it was correct within TWO minutes. I don’t really understand how it works. Satellites, a computer, a database… nice choice of voices for the directions. Can’t even see where the nice lady sits behind the screen (only joking) but it works effortlessly, perfectly, easily.
But it isn’t any more wonderful than a small-brained stork who doesn’t know what a computer is.
I wish navigating all the pathways of life were as easy.
Psalm 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” The Scriptures are truly a gift and a guide to wisdom, and the psalm celebrates the effect of God’s written Word and guidance.
Even better, Jesus describes Himself as THE Way in John 14:5-7 “Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”…
When all is said and done, the best navigation comes when you have a wise Guide who has been preparing our road, understands it perfectly, and doesn’t have traffic jams. To walk in the footsteps of Jesus, and to be prepared by studying His ways and purpose, is the surest and best journey through life. It is isn’t quite like listening to a satnav! But there are no breaks in transmission and no cables to fail. It isn’t “easy,” because life is complicated and people are unpredictable. I’ve been consciously following the Way for over 50 years- and He has never let me down even through the bumpy bits! I recommend Him, wholeheartedly.
