God, GPS, and Me

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 30:21

“You’re going in circles.”

My husband’s comment made me laugh. I knew my precise location, why I was there, even where I was going next. Me, 1400 miles away, in a rental car, alone, in two states where I’d never been before prompted him to track me by cell phone GPS. The day before, his comment was “What are you doing in Walmart?”

I’ve never done much on my own. Living at home through college, engaged at 19, married at 21, I moved straight from being Daddy’s little girl to a wife with no on-my-own-single-woman experiences in between. Everyone sees me as incapable of doing things alone.

I took a few days in North and South Carolina to visit family history related sites following a writer’s conference, plotting my route into the GPS on my iPhone with great care. What appeared as circles was a deliberate trip to get as close as possible to the places my ancestors once called home.  For a girl from the wide-open spaces of New Mexico, where cell phone coverage is often spotty, this wasn’t tricky in the slightest. Everywhere was populated!

I felt free and safe. A kind voice told me every turn to make. If I missed a turn, the GPS lady redirected me and I arrived at my destination anyway. I was having an adventure and the feeling of freedom and self-confidence grew with every mile and road sign.

God has charted a path for us in the Bible, his road map for life. Maybe each specific destination isn’t marked, but you can be certain the Lord has left directions about facing any situation in life ready for us to discover. Did you know that Columbus decided the earth wasn’t flat and he could navigate uncharted waters by reading verses like Psalms 8:8 and 77:19?

Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters--a pathway no one knew was there!

Psalms 77:19 NLT

New experiences, good or bad, can be affirming and lead to great spiritual growth when we follow the directions God gave in His word. He promises to never leave us or forsake us. If we know what he says and make certain to obey, we won’t get lost along the winding paths of life. When unexpected detours arise, there’s no need to fear. We can know with confidence that God’s voice will lead us through.

Are you searching for guidance in the confusion of everyday life? Trust God. He’s better than GPS.

© Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, June 9, 2017

About the author:

Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, won the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Historical Writers of America, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 41 years. They have two adult children. If you’re interested in connecting with her, you’re to follow her blog, or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, or Amazon.