“An old sailor repeatedly got lost at sea, so his friends gave him a compass and urged him to use it. The next time he went out in his boat, he followed their advice and took the compass with him. But as usual he became hopelessly confused and was unable to find land. Finally he was rescued by his friends. Disgusted and impatient with him, they 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 old sailor was so certain he knew which way was north that he stubbornly 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” (sermonillustrations.com).
This story sounds a whole lot like how some approach finding their way spiritually. God has graciously provided a spiritual compass to guide us. His Word can be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). We can keep our way pure by guarding it according to God’s Word (Psalm 119:9). The Scriptures provide all we need for the wisdom that leads to salvation and equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:15-17). The Word of God is unparalleled as a spiritual compass for life.
But if we are not careful, we can find ourselves bending the needle of the compass to point where we want to go or, even worse, ignoring it all together. We decide that we know best. We twist the words of Scripture to line up with what we want. And before you know it, we’ve lost our way.
Trust the compass! God knows best. He doesn't want anyone to be lost (2 Peter 3:9). If we can swallow our pride and willfulness, He can lead us home.
God loves you!
Mike
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