“Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow” (Psalm 25:4 NLT).
When David and I were newly married, neither of our cars had a navigation system. Eager to embrace my new role as my husband’s helper, I seized the opportunity to assist him with directions whenever he drove somewhere unfamiliar. There was only one problem. I’m not a good navigator. In fact, my directions got us lost. A lot.
Even using a map app on my phone, we routinely missed turns and whizzed past the correct highway exits. David, who likes to be on time, finally drew the line when we arrived significantly late for an appointment. My wrong directions had us driving around in circles.
I was not only stripped of my duties as his navigation helper, but another woman soon replaced me. She wasn’t a relative or even a trusted family friend, yet I watched her influence my husband’s decisions, and it was a little annoying how much he liked her.
Who was this shameless, job-stealing intruder? She didn’t even have a name. She was the voice behind the navigation system in our new car, and to this day, she resides inside the dashboard. She has conquered my husband’s heart as his preferred resource for directions.
I must admit that “Dashboard Lady” is seldom wrong, so, really, it’s difficult to dislike her. She notifies us of dangers and detours on the road ahead, and when we listen to her directions, we get where we’re supposed to be—on time! She and I now coexist quite peacefully since she has proven to be more of a help than a hindrance in our marriage, particularly on long road trips.
In our cars and in everyday life, it’s easy to wander off the track at times. It’s easy to get lost.
As followers of Christ, the path we’re called to travel can be full of difficult circumstances, situations, and even people. If we aren’t getting our directions from a trustworthy source, we’ll wind up in places we could have avoided. When we go our way, we complicate life for ourselves and others unnecessarily. We stumble into conflict with friends, loved ones, and even strangers because we’re veering too far off God’s path (Proverbs 4:26–27).
In contrast, if we seek the Lord in all matters, He promises to direct our path and keep us from going in the wrong direction (Psalm 16:11; Proverbs 3:6). He equips His children with the best possible navigation system through His Word (Psalm 119:105), and provides unlimited access to Him through prayer and the presence of His Holy Spirit.
In Psalm 25, King David understood the benefit of seeking guidance from God. He trusted that the Lord would lead him with unfailing love and faithfulness (Psalm 25:10), and he depended on that direction to help him find his way through life.
God freely offers His direction, and we needn’t be one bit ashamed to admit that we need His help.
If today you’ve wandered a little too far from God or feel like you might be lost, don’t be discouraged. You just need some good directions or maybe some redirection. God is generous in helping you with His wisdom when you don’t know which way to turn or how to live, think, act, and speak. All you have to do is ask (James 1:5).
No matter how lost you think you are, your Creator knows your exact location. And He will never leave you stranded.
Open your Bible, listen for the Lord’s voice, and walk boldly in faith. Trust that when God is leading you, He has already gone ahead of you to prepare the way. He sees the dangers and distractions ahead and knows when you might need to make a U-turn or take a detour. He will never abandon you (Deuteronomy 31:8) and will always guide you in the best direction for your life (Psalm 32:8).
Christina Kimbrel serves as VL’s production manager. Once incarcerated, she now ministers hope to those held captive by their past and current circumstances while sharing the message of healing she found in Jesus.
