Psalm 16:11–You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand tare pleasures evermore. (AMP)
It seemed clear as mud to me when my husband Ron traced out our upcoming journey on the map spread out on the kitchen table. The blue lines and red squiggles didn’t look like real places. I couldn’t tell top from bottom, let alone north from south! Funnily enough, once we got to our destination, it didn’t seem hard at all. Ron has a great sense of direction and always knows where he is, but even my poor navigation skills improved when I could actually see street signs and highway markings. It’s one thing to hear about a place and quite another to see it for ourselves.
I thought about how often I am content to hear God’s Word preached from the pulpit and don’t bother checking scriptures or the speaker’s notes for myself. Hearing about God from someone else is like me trusting the unknown territory on that road map. I am trusting that the artist didn’t make a mistake.
Certainly we value our Christian leaders. However, when we seek truth for ourselves, the road we travel will be clearer, the buildings larger, and the landscape more easily recognized.
Prayer: Lord, give us courage to read your Word for ourselves. Then make it clear to our hearts and our feet. In Jesus’ name. Amen
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)