The Freedom to Explore

“For we live by faith, not by sight.” (II Corinthians 5:7 NIV)

My wife and I went exploring yesterday afternoon.  We drove out of town, turned on a mountain road and began following it to see where it would lead.  It led us up a mountain, along a ridge, and down again.  We went from a paved road to gravel, back to paved, then again to gravel, and then, finally, back to paved.  We passed by extravagant homes and singlewide trailers.  We saw areas of our county we never knew existed and we even found what looked like a really good fishing spot.  All the while, we really had no clue where we were.  

But we really weren’t lost.  We had “Gloria” and we knew she could lead us home whenever we turned her on.  The GPS is an amazing device, allowing one to pinpoint his location anywhere on Earth and find the right way to his destination.  It also allows the freedom to explore without fear of getting lost.

Now while a GPS is not always 100% accurate, our reliance on it has some parallels to walking the life of faith.  Like the GPS, the Lord and His Word show us how to get to our eternal destination.  They also help us find our way when we are lost.  And they can give us confidence to explore the will of God in our lives.  

Exploring, by definition, involves a journey into the unknown.  Many of us would rather know what we are getting into before we set out on a journey.  If we can’t know beforehand, we are inclined to sit tight until we have more of a sense of what is ahead.  Paul calls this walking by sight and he is not too fond of it.  

Like my wife and I did yesterday by setting out on a road unknown with the confidence we would not get lost because we had “Gloria,” we are to trust the Lord and His Word as we set out on the road of life and the myriad of side trips He leads us to take.  We may not know exactly where He is leading us, but we can be assured we will not get lost.  And by our willingness to trust Him, we will see and experience so much more, far beyond our ability to even imagine. 

Today, know the Lord and His Word are trustworthy.  Set out today in faith and explore where the Lord wants to take you.  And don’t fear—He knows how to get you to where He wants you to go.

© Jim Musser 2013