GPS

Look straight ahead,

& fix your eyes on what lies before you.

Mark out a straight path for your feet;

then stick to the path

& stay safe.

Don't get sidetracked;

keep your feet from following evil.

Proverb 4:25-27

T D Jakes used an illustration that I think might be appropriate for these verses.

He was talking about following God & trying to ascertain if whatever direction he was going was correct.

He compared it to the GPS on his car.

If he's following his verbal commands from his GPS, the GPS will alert him to an upcoming change of direction.

And when it is time to make the change of direction, the GPS tells him to.

But there are periods in his traveling when there isn't any talking going on from the GPS.

GPS's don't prattle on about places along the way – their job is to keep us on track.

T D Jakes says lots of the time he wonders if he is still going in the right direction.

His GPS has a “panic button” - a function that he can punch to check with the GPS if he still going in the right way.

Usually his GPS don't talk to him except when he needs to make a course change.

But if he gets to worrying that he might have strayed, all he has to do is poke the panic button.

Usually, if he's still on the right path, the GPS will reply, “continue going in your present direction.”

He also mentions that if by some chance he gets confused & makes the wrong course change or somehow misses the turn off, the GPS alerts him to what he missed, then redirects, & gets him back in the right direction.

You see the parallels here ;-)

God is good at letting us know when there needs to be a course change in our lives.

If we ain't hearing anything from Him, it does not usually mean we're off course – it just means we're going in the direction we need to go.

If we need to change course, He will let us know ahead of time - & when it's time to change direction, He'll tell us exactly when we should.

And if we get off course, He will let us know, recalculate, & do what is necessary to aid us in getting back on the course He's chosen for us.

Is this an oversimplification?

I don't think so.