Numbers 31-33

Do you use a GPS when you travel? Do you ever ignore the GPS when you travel? How does that work out for you? If your destination is your goal, you might do better following the directions. If the journey is your goal, you might enjoy a detour now and again. And if the journey is your goal, you might never reach your destination.

If I counted correctly, the Israelites picked up and moved 41 times from the day they left Egypt until they finally entered the Promised Land. I think I’ve moved ten times since college, and that seems like a lot. I can’t imagine moving on average once a year for forty years.

Looking at the map in my Study Bible I realize they definitely didn’t take the short, direct route. You might say they took the scenic route! Yes, they got to their destination. But if you read about those forty years, you know it cost them dearly. In fact, many of them never reached the destination at all.

My destination is heaven. My goal is a right relationship with God But I look back on my life and see that I, too, have not always taken the direct route. There were times I wandered in a wilderness of rebellion, just like the Israelites did. I’ve made detours, worshiped other gods, got lost… and it cost me.

God has given us a GPS. It’s called Scripture. The Bible can and does tell us the best route to take.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 31:21)

When you come up against a crossroad and you don’t know which way to go, listen for the voice of God who will speak His Words to you. If you are veering off the route, or if you take a wrong turn, a Scripture will come to mind telling you to “make a legal U-turn.” Or you will be reading the Bible, and the Holy Spirit will highlight the passage that will point you in the right direction, re-routing you toward your destination. God speaks through His written Word as clearly as that MapQuest voice in your car.

If you are a young person reading this, take it from one who has been young. Trust God. Obey Him. Let Him lead you. Resist the temptation to take a detour, or to figure out your own route. Your destination may be heaven, if you know Jesus as your Savior. But God has a route mapped out for you that is direct, blessed, and shared with HIm.

Don’t miss that! The years I spent in rebellion weren’t worth the cost. I wish you’d believe me. I don’t want you to make my mistakes.

To those of you no longer young: which route are you taking? It’s not too late to turn your life around, to re-route and obey God’s direction. Wilderness wandering is a waste of precious time.

You see, there is only one route to heaven. To ignore God’s GPS is foolishness, and will end in death. It doesn’t get more costly than that.

It’s so much better, the journey more enjoyable, the time more blessed following God’s GPS.