Earlier this month our family packed up and headed to the coast for the weekend. I was surprised to see my husband plug in the GPS for our trip. My beloved is from Va. Beach and has made this journey from mountains to beach and back again hundreds of times. He knows when traffic will be heaviest, when to avoid the Hampton Tunnel, and all alternate routes in the Tidewater area. So I found it interesting that he chose to plug in his GPS.
I asked him in a teasing voice “Why are you doing that? Did you forget how to get there?” He responded, because I travel so much for work, I’ve gotten used to plugging in my final destination, mainly out of habit. As we traveled, I gazed out the window watching the topography change from mountains and red clay to sandy flat soil. My mind pondered on the profound words of my beloved. He didn’t even realize the magnitude of his words.
….”I’ve gotten used to plugging in my final destination, mainly out of habit.”
As believers, as Christ followers, our final destination is heaven. While our earthly destination for the day might be to take the kids to school, go to work, take care of a parent, go to the grocery store, and even attend a T-ball game. We must first remember our final destination: Heaven.
A few months back I was challenged to give God my best, including the best part of my day. For me, this meant getting up even earlier than my 6am alarm. During this time of stillness, I sit in my red chair, coffee in hand and I read and pray. The scripture I’ve been dwelling on recently is Psalms 16:8…
“I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
The secret of plugging into God’s GPS is found in this verse. Read it again (seriously, right now). Did you see it? Did you see the secret?
“I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”-Psalms 16:8
If I were to rewrite this scripture in an Amplified April’s version it would read: “I, (no one else can do it but me) have purposely placed God’s will, wants, desires and plans before my own. Because I asked Him to go ahead of me, He is in a readied position to catch me when I fall, nudge me back on course, hold my hand when I am scared, or just lean in to me and place an arm around my shoulder. God is always there, I have no reason to be fearful, scared, worried, or anxious.”
Perhaps GPS doesn’t just stand for Global Positioning System, perhaps it also means God’s Positioning System. Just like the electronic GPS which will map out your course, provide detours and alternative routes, God will do the same. He will go before us, provide an alternative when we are tempted. He sees the bumps in the road long before we approach them. He knows our final destination. But first, we must remember Psalms 16:8 and pray to ask God to go before us.
And then there is the second part to my husband’s statement….”out of habit.” Researchers state that it takes 21 days of repeated action to create a new habit. I challenge you to create a new habit. Over the next 21 days spend time with God and pray Psalms 16:8. Ask God to go before you in all that you do.
NOTE: Be watchful and give thanks in all the ways God proved that he went before you! Be careful not to fall into the trap of saying “Oh, that worked out alright…” Give God ALL the thanks!
~April
“May you and I be mutually encouraged by each others faith.”-Romans 1:12
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