A story is told of a sailor who repeatedly got lost at sea. After many frustrating attempts to provide guidance his friends gave him a compass and advised him to use it. The next time he went out in his boat, the sailor followed their advice and took the compass with him. However, as usual he got desperately confused and was unable to find land and had to be rescued by his friends.
In disgust and impatience his friends asked, “Why didn’t you use that compass we gave you? You could have saved us a lot of trouble!” The sailor responded,“I didn’t dare to! I wanted to go north, but as hard as I tried to make the needle aim in that direction, it just kept on pointing southeast.”
The sailor was so certain he knew which way was north that he stubbornly and repeatedly tried to force his own personal persuasion on his compass. Unable to do so, he tossed it aside as worthless and failed to benefit from the guidance it offered.
Just like the old sailor, some of us have tossed God’s word aside or pick out specific parts to justify the direction we have decided to take.
Psalm 119: 105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path. (ESV)
It has been said that Bible stands for “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” What would life be like if only we valued the word of God totally; if we would daily take the time to read it and walk in it? The reality is that we would never get lost. The word of God directs us in our work and way, and the world would indeed be a dark place without it.
A lamp unto my feet gives me the confidence to know where to step next while a lamp unto my path illuminates the way ahead of me so I see where I am going.
Are you lost? Forget what you think you know, after all, that is what got you lost in the first place. Pick up the Bible, read it apply it and see God lead you to new horizons.
Magdaline Kiyeng ’11
Beautiful piece.
Thank you