“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shall go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you”
Psalm 32:8 (NIV)
We were off the beaten path for about an hour when we realized we were lost. 
I pulled the car into a small motel to ask for directions. There were two elderly men sitting behind the counter with their feet up while watching a small television set. I had to clear my throat to get their attention.
“Excuse me. Can either of you direct me back to the interstate?” They were no help. They just looked at me with a blank stare. When I returned to the car, I gave my friend the bad news. “Well, we’re lost and we’re going to die.”
“No, we’re not.” She said in a comforting way. “Look! There’s a gas station stop across the street. Maybe someone in there will be able to help us,” she added with hope in her voice.
To me, the shady, rundown building across the street looked like a hang-out for serial killers. The paint was peeling and the shrubbery was overgrown. Nothing about the store said, “Welcome.” There was no way I was going to walk into a nest of potential killers willingly. However, my friend persuaded me otherwise. “We won’t talk to anyone,” she promised. “We’ll just go in and buy a map.”
Once we were inside the creepy, timeworn building, I scanned the place for our killer. When it appeared to be safe, we got our directions and got out of the store.
Eventually, we made it home, but not without learning a great lesson.
Life is full of roadblocks, dead ends, and detours that can lead us off course. The same is true for our spiritual life. From time to time we can all get lost spiritually when we fail to look to God as our source for life. When it happens to me, there are certain signs. Life seems dull, scary, uneventfully and without purpose or clear direction. Sadness sets in and my days seem lonely, cold and dark. I lose confidence in decision-making, too. Then I realize that without clear guidance from God, it’s easy to become confused about which way to turn or even get lost.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We can turn to God for help. Our key verse makes this promise: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shall go; I will counsel you with loving eye on you.” We don’t have to go it alone as if we’re feeling our way through the darkness. God is there to light our path.
No matter how intentional we are about staying the course, without Godly direction we’ll end up in a place we never intended on visiting. Whenever we need direction in raising a strong-willed child, changing jobs or having a problem in a relationship, God will faithfully provide the counsel we need. You and I find this wise counsel in God’s Word, through prayer and by relying on Christ to pave the way before us. Practicing these principles is the only way we can know our true destination.
It’s true. There will be obstacles along life’s way and at times, the path may seem mysterious, but God’s leading will equip us to remain on course and reach our destination.
Question: How can searching God’s Word for clear direction in your life keep you on course?
Micca
I *love* this verse Micca! I definitely am directionally challenged (and very intimidated by directions & maps:). However, I am SO thankful for the truth of Scripture and the promise from the Lord that He will faithfully lead us! We are being led by the most trustworthy unseen hand. How beautiful?!