Suppose you were to invite me to dinner tonight at 6 o’clock. For sake of my illustration, let’s assume (always a dangerous thing to do) that all is going well and I stay till after ten o’clock at night or so. After a wonderful evening, let’s suppose that you walk me to my car and I am about to leave. Then, I turn to you and say something like this: “I can’t leave now. I’ll never make it home.”“Why not?’ you ask puzzled
Well… I will not be able to drive home because it is dark outside and I cannot see.”
You look at me baffled and ask, “Don’t you have headlights? …if you turn on your headlights you can see through the darkness and you will be able to see your way home.”
“Yes, I do have headlights, but my headlights only allow me to see about sixty feet or so. And I have several miles to travel.” I reply
“Yeah, but don’t you realize that if you turn on your headlights and drive… for every sixty feet you travel, your headlights will allow you to see another sixty feet and then another sixty feet and then another sixty feet. And sixty feet at a time you can see your way home!”
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This simple, abbreviated illustration can be applied to our lives. When we are searching for the will of God or for life’s path, we often search for the entire journey. We want to find the treasure map with the big “X” on it. However, with God we find that He does not tell us the entire journey. We have no such map that shows us the end game of our lives.
But scripture DOES tell us that His word is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. Therefore, by using scripture I can navigate my way “home” successfully sixty feet at a time as long as I am walking in His paths and with His light. We can no more see the entire journey when set out on a car ride than we can when we set out on life’s journey. We have no idea the road hazards and accidents and detours that life will throw our way; but with His light (the Bible) we can navigate through these alternative routes.
So, what is my sixty feet? What is the known direction of my life? Surely I have to begin somewhere?
I previously posted a blog regarding “What to Do When We Don’t Know God’s Will.” In that post, I told you four things that the Bible tells us is the will of God:
* He wants us to be saved.
* He wants us to share our faith.
* He wants for us to be controlled by the Spirit.
* He wants us to separated to Him.
Through the lens of scripture we are able to determine God’s will for our lives, at least in the beginning stages. For sake of our illustration let’s call this the first sixty feet. If you don’t know what direction it is that God’s is trying to take you, I encourage you to do the known will of God (travel the first sixty feet that you can see) and He will reveal the unknown. These four things will allow you to see the sixty feet that you need to see in order to get started on your journey of living for Him. I promise you, once you travel these sixty feet, God will reveal the next sixty feet… and sixty feet at a time you will navigate through the road hazards of life and you will find your way “home.” Following this “sixty feet” principle, one day you will look back on your life and you will be amazed at the journey that God has taken you. All because sixty feet at a time you allowed Him lead you to His plan and His desire for your life. May our prayer be: “not my will, but Thine be done.”
