Bible teachers I’ve met over the years represent a variety of communication skills and different spiritual gift patterns, but the ones who stand out most prominently for me have one thing in common. They have a tendency to say profoundly important things in simple terms that stick like velcro in my mind. One of those comments came to mind during an excursion my wife and I made recently to a place we weren’t familiar with. 

Plugging in Some Help ~
Being a bit unsure about the exact location of our destination, we plugged the address into the GPS system on our car just as a precaution. I would have preferred to use one of the GPS apps on my phone (… for some reason I have three), but Diane prefers the navigation system that came on the car. There are some features she likes about the built-in one better than the ones on my phone, and since she was driving at the time, I didn’t argue.

My problem with the built-in system is not that it fails to figure out how to get us to where we want to go, it’s that the “voice” and overall demeanor of the gal that lives in there and tells us what to do that’s just plain irritating. Though she never shows her face on the screen or introduces herself, I know her. She’s a digital replication of my 4th grade teacher, and her name is Gertrude. Her gray hair is pulled back in a bun, and she has reading glasses placed down near the end of her nose and has a pointer in her hand. She should have retired years ago but refuses to quit because she loves telling people what to do. I would’ve replaced her with someone with better communication skills – and maybe a cute little Irish accent, but the owner’s manual doesn’t offer that option on this model. I’m not sure how she did it, but I think Gertrude may have actually chosen to just delete that part.

A Little Rerouting ~
In any case, we evidently missed a turn or passed an exit, and Gertrude announced that she was “rerouting”. Her declaration that “rerouting” was necessary brought to mind one of those “sticky” comments that I’ve heard repeatedly from one of my favorite Bible teachers, and I love it. It’s this simple truth: “Jesus will meet you ‘wherever’ you are, but He will never, ever leave you there.”

The idea of Jesus meeting us wherever we are unexpectedly kicked in a connection with our GPS program. Most of us are so familiar with the devices and their various features that we hardly notice them unless we’re taking a trip or find ourselves in unfamiliar territory. We take them and the incredible things they can do for granted unless some kind of malfunction occurs. We don’t generally question their guidance, ignore their warnings, or disregard their suggestions. Like cell phones and microwave ovens, GPS devices have moved from the category of astounding electronic engineering and innovation to just another household necessity. We quickly forget that just a few generations ago, something like a GPS system would only have existed in the realm of science fiction. But there’s a lesson or two to be found in how we react to them that I think might be worth contemplating as we make our journey through this world, especially when it comes to following Jesus. 

Invisibility?  Not a Problem ~
For example, as amazing as it is, when we look down at the screen in our hand or the one displayed on our car’s dashboard, we seem quite comfortable trusting the amazing array of forces and components that are totally invisible to us. We trust that there’s some metallic thing flying around somewhere in outer space that somehow knows things like our exact location, which direction we’re heading in, and how fast our vehicle is going. We believe it when it tells us how heavy the traffic is on the road ahead, and what restaurants are close by. We might call Uncle Harry and confidently report that we’ll be there by 5:00 pm because that’s what the GPS told us. 

That’s a pretty impressive demonstration of faith in forces we cannot see, devices we don’t understand, and systems we can’t explain, and there are reasons for that level of trust. Here are a few that come to mind:

• • We trust it because other people who used it told us about it and shared with us how it works and the benefits it offers.
  • We trust it because even though we can’t see it, we believe that it has a perspective from its outer space position we cannot achieve on our own. Because of its exalted perspective, it can “see” both where we are and where we’re going at the same time.
  • We trust it because it’s able to “see” obstacles and dangers in advance and protect us from hazards we wouldn’t know about. 
  • We trust it because it isn’t forced on us. The relationship we have or don’t have with it is our choice. We are free to have it or not have it and to follow its directions or accept the risk of ignoring them. 
  • We trust it because we’ve tried it personally, and it has proven that it can do what it claims to do.

A Comparison Worth Considering ~
Does any of that sound remotely familiar? Am I the only one who thinks that if we had the kind of faith in the living God that we have in our GPS programs, we could change the world? More often than I can possibly recall, I’ve heard people express their doubts about whether God really sees them and knows where they are, but no one doubts their GPS app that way! Though we don’t usually doubt the reroute that GPS suggests, it’s commonplace to hear stories of how God has made some direction clear in someone’s life, and how fear and disbelief kept them from making a move that could have been incredibly rewarding. 

Looking back over the years, I can see a number of places where I made a wrong turn, ignored an exit I was directed to take, or thought I had a better plan than the one He developed for me and went my own way. God has never altered the destination He has chosen for me, but He has also never hesitated to pause my journey and do some major “rerouting” in my life.

Simple but Powerful ~
I don’t want to belabor a point that I think is pretty clear or overwork the illustration that supports it. But I don’t want the simplicity of the picture to undermine the importance of the subject. Jesus wasn’t kidding when He said this: 

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:22–24 NKJV)

One thing is indelibly and eternally clear. Faith in God can make all kinds of things that seem impossible, possible. Things like artificial intelligence, political power, and boundless wealth will never overcome the evil, alleviate the suffering, or quell the violence and hatred plaguing our country and the world. But there’s One who knows exactly where we are, where we’re heading, what obstacles lie in our path, how best to get where we’re going, and what our ultimate ETA is. 

So, let’s consider and compare our simple, child-like trust and obedient responses to ‘Waze’ and other GPS apps and commit to trust the Living God even more and obey His directives –  without question. That kind of simple, confident faith can not only change us – but the world around us, as well. 

“TWEETABLES” ~ Click to tweet and share from the pull quotes below.  Each one links directly back to this article through Twitter . . .

• • GPS is a pretty impressive demonstration of faith in forces we can’t see, devices we don’t perceive, systems we can’t explain. Here’s one of many reasons for that trust: Other people who used it, told us about it, how it works and the benefits it offers. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet) 
  • Am I the only one who thinks if we had the kind of faith in God that we have in our GPS, we could change the world? So often, I’ve heard people express doubts about whether God really sees them and knows where they are. No one doubts their GPS app that way! @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
  • Though we don’t usually doubt the reroute that GPS suggests, it’s commonplace to hear stories of how God has made some direction clear in someone’s life, and how fear and disbelief kept them from making a move that could have been incredibly rewarding. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
  • Things like artificial intelligence, political power, and boundless wealth will never overcome the evil, alleviate the suffering, or quell the violence and hatred plaguing our country and the world. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet) 
  • There’s One who knows exactly where we are, where we’re heading, what obstacles lie in our paths, how best to get where we’re going – and what our ultimate ETA is. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)

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