Christian Growing

            Sunday my wife Rose and I went to a Maple Syrup Festival near Salem, IN.  I got a GPS unit for Christmas and have been using it, (even when I know where I am going to test it), and find it is very accurate.  I had programmed it for the trip Sunday, but wanted to go a different way I thought I remembered from last year.  Of course the little voice in the unit kept trying to tell me to turn around or go on different roads than where I was going.  Turns out I was wrong in the directions I thought I remembered.  When I ended up in downtown Salem I decided I didn't know how to get to the festival from there.  So I started to follow the instructions from the GPS unit.

            There were two lessons I thought of.  1)  Jesus said:   "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."  (see John 10)  It is so very important that we follow the instructions found in God's Word. It is NOT true that "all roads lead to God".  Jesus is the only way to find eternal life.  Jesus is the ONLY Way, Truth, and Life.  We may think we know the way.  We might even think we are following the directions we have always followed.  But we won't get to heaven unless we follow the directions we are given in God's Word for that day.  We must surrender to Jesus every day, die to self every day,  and obey every word of God.

            2)  No matter where we find ourselves, if we will trust ourselves to God He will lead us to the correct destination.  The GPS led me over back roads, even a 2 mile stretch of a one lane gravel road at one point.  But we got right to our correct destination.  If we are disobedient to our Heavenly Father's directions, He may have to lead us over roads we could have avoided.  But He will get us to the right place if we trust Him.  God's promise is sure:  "I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not;  I will lead them in paths that they have not known.  I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight.  These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them."   (Isaiah 42:16)

                Looking unto Jesus, Who is the author and finisher of our faith, enables us to be in constant communion and contact with our God.  Then no matter what situation we find ourselves in we can learn our lessons and grow to be more like Jesus.