When God Is the GPS: Learning to Trust His Direction

Are you any good at reading a map? I’m terrible. When I first started driving and I needed to go to an unfamiliar place, I used to meticulously study the UBD and write myself a list of directions.

Turn left on Ann Street, pass three streets, turn right into Skyring Terrace. The letters were big so I could read them easily with my attention still on the road.

I still got lost sometimes. I still had to pull over and pinpoint my location on the map, adjusting my list of directions to compensate for my mistakes. But eventually I would arrive at my destination.

Those sheets of handwritten directions are now a thing of the past. Now I have a digital map on a screen next to my steering wheel and a friendly voice telling me when and where to turn. It makes going to unfamiliar places so easy. I put in the address and drive straight onto the street.

I don’t argue with the instructions of the GPS. I listen and obey without question.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Like the voice of a GPS, the Lord will lead my life in the right path when I listen and obey. Each crossroads, each decision I have to make, I can take it to the Lord in prayer, reading the wisdom from His word, and live my life accordingly. Trusting in faith in His guidance.

The problem, for me, comes when I think I know where I’m going. You see, if I am heading off to a location I’ve never been before, I follow the GPS instructions exactly without question. But. If I’m going somewhere I’m familiar. If I’m going somewhere I’ve been several times before, I am likely to ignore the GPS and follow my own way.

Sadly, the same is true of my life. When I think I know what I should be doing. When I am confident in my own ability, I neglect to spend time listening to God, seeking His guidance and looking at His word. I trust my own understanding. And it doesn’t often end well.

Friends, we can trust in the God of Proverbs 3:5-6. We can trust Him, lean on His understanding in our lives, when we listen and obey.

When we have a decision to make, whether familiar or new, we always need to take the time to invite God to direct our paths. Let’s not just trust the GPS to guide our lives. Let us trust God with all our hearts.

I know this is a simplification. Life is more complicated than what I am describing. God’s voice can be hard to discern. Sometimes we pray and God is silent. Many decisions in life are not linear. However, taking our uncertainty to God in prayer and asking earnestly for His direction is a good place to begin. Regularly spending time in His Word keeps our minds attuned to His voice. God is good. His purpose for us is good. Let’s turn to Him in our uncertainty, listen to His voice, and learn to obey.