RECALCULATE YOUR ROUTE

A few weeks ago I ventured to a new part of town for lunch. I am horrible with directions so I plugged the address of my destination into the GPS and took off. As I traveled, the GPS showed me step by step directions as well as the amount of time if would take me to get there. As I drove, the GPS told me about 30 seconds before I had to make a turn so I knew it was coming up and I could get ready for it. Fortunately, I made it safely to the restaurant and enjoyed my meal. When it was time to go back to work, I followed the same procedure: I plugged my job’s address into the GPS before driving off. But on the way back, I ran into some construction. The GPS told me to make a right turn but the road was blocked so I had to keep going straight. I was a little nervous because as I said before, I’m horrible with directions and I didn’t want to get lost and make it back to work late. But, thank goodness for the GPS – as I continued straight on the road, a message came up that said “Recalculating”. It was working out a new route for me to take. See, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is programmed so that if the driver deviates from the original route, it will recalculate the route to make sure the driver still gets to their destination. So whether I miss a turn, can’t make a turn because of construction, or am forced to make a detour, the GPS recalculates itself so I make it to where I’m going. As long as my GPS is functioning, it’s virtually impossible for me to get lost.

Just like the GPS, God has to recalculate our routes from time to time due to detours, wrong turns, or missed turns.

A detour is a temporary deviated route when the main way is closed – this is something you don’t have any control over. For example, Betty planned to go to school to earn her master’s degree in education. The program typically takes 2 years to complete. However, her mother fell ill and she had to drop down to part time status, thereby prolonging the program.

A wrong or a missed turn, on the other hand, is a situation where something or someone distracts you so that you focus on the distraction and make a crucial misstep or miss a crucial step towards your destination. For example, Mark devised a plan to buy a home within the next year. He wrote out a budget and figured out how much he needed to save each month to reach his goal. Three months into his plan, a new casino opened up down the street and he ventured out one night to give it a try. By the end of the year, he’d gambled away all of his savings – thereby missing the opportunity to purchase a home.

The good news is that God can recalculate Betty’s & Mark’s routes provided they consult their GPS – God’s Positioning System (the WORD) – to get back onto track. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

It is impossible to get lost as long as we are consulting God’s Word and following His directions for life.

THE PERFECT STORM

I recently took a road trip to Orlando. The weather was perfect as we left home. The sun was in the sky and the traffic was light. As we continued on our trip, however, the sky started to darken, the wind started to blow, and rain threatened to fall. About an hour into the trip, we drove right into the storm. The rain was falling so hard that traffic came to a near stop. It was hard to see out of the windshield. The roads were slippery. After about ten minutes, the rain lightened up and traffic returned to a normal pace. The clouds were still out but the fog was clearing, making it easier to see the road. Relieved that I’d made it out of the storm, I traveled along for another ten minutes before the storm suddenly reappeared. Visibility diminished, the road filled with water and traffic slowed. Like before, the sun was barely peeking out from among the clouds but it was there nonetheless. After another few minutes of driving through these conditions, the storm lightened. The sun came out a little more this time and the rain stopped completely.

For a full hour, the storm came and went in this same fashion. Frustrated, I questioned God why He allowed the storm to last so long. Why hadn’t the storm passed me by already? God responded that life works the same way. Storms come and go intermittently throughout our lives. Heavy rains, low visibility and slick traveling conditions can make life almost unbearable. But just as we’re about to give up, the rain lets up and the Son becomes visible again. I thought it was interesting that no matter how hard it rained or how heavy the clouds looked, I knew the sun was still there waiting for me to pass through the storm to the other side. And I knew that the rain couldn’t last always – it never does. The storm always lets up, the rain always stops, and the sun always shines again.

It is hard to have hope in the midst of the storm. When rain is pouring down on you, thunder crashes above, and lightning relentlessly threatens you, your first reaction may be to cower in fear. But Jesus told us He came to give us peace. "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Jesus did not promise that we would be exempt from tribulation as children of God. Instead, He told us that He has already overcome the world – we already have victory through Christ. That means that whatever storm you’re facing, Jesus has already overcome it. Just like the sun was ever present during my rainy road trip, the Son is ever present during our storms – it’s our responsibility to put our trust in Him, knowing that he has already conquered those things which threaten to push us off the road.

FREEDOM IN CHRIST

Consider the following hypothetical situations with me for a moment:

You’ve been kidnapped and are being held in a locked room. You are given the basic essentials – food, water, a toilet. You notice that the key to the room is sitting on the floor next to you. Do you remain in bondage or release yourself?

You’ve been falsely accused of a crime and thrown into jail. After a short time, the district attorney comes by and tells you that you’ve been cleared of all charges. He advises you that you can leave at any time. Do you stay in jail or do you leave?

Obviously, you would release yourself in both of these situations, right? So why do we insist on remaining in spiritual bondage when Jesus has already secured our freedom?

Paul writes to the church of Galatia, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.*”

It’s like being set free from a kidnapper and then running back to him to be enslaved once more. That would be absurd – just like it’s absurd to stay in spiritual bondage when Christ has made us free.

I am one of the few people who tuned in to the summer miniseries on NBC titled, “Persons Unknown”. The 13-week series told the story of 8 kidnapped people placed into a deserted town surrounded by an electric border. For weeks, they fought to escape to no avail. Finally, during the series finale, they found their way to freedom. For a short while, they enjoyed their freedom – some went back to their normal lives while the others lived under cover of new identities. Unfortunately, by the end of the finale, they were enslaved again. The finale was disappointing to me because I’d invested so much into these characters’ freedom and it felt hopeless to see them back in bondage in the end.

I’m so happy that doesn’t have to be the way our story ends. John 8:32 & 36 tells us, “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free…So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” We don’t need to persevere in sin when we’ve been given the Word of God (the truth).

Enslaved by low self esteem? Read Psalms 139:13-16 and discover that you were wonderfully and fearfully made by God Himself.

Enslaved by anxiety? Read Philippians 4:6 and learn how to address anxiety (by prayer and petition).

Enslaved by loneliness? Read John 14:16 about how Christ sent us the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) who is with us always.

God’s Word addresses all of our needs – He is able to free you from any form of bondage – no matter how great or small. Your freedom is important to Him – you must read His Word to understand just how much.

* Galatians 5:1