Maps and Landmarks or a Compass and a Star

Did you ever get lost in the store when you were a kid? Maybe you hid in the clothes rack to play an unplanned game of hide and seek. Your plan was perfect until you stepped out of the clothes rack anticipating a “Gotcha!” when you realized your parent was nowhere to be found. How about while you were out walking in an unfamiliar area or hiking in the woods? Your focus was elsewhere and your thoughts adrift when all of a sudden you realized you were in unfamiliar territory and no matter where you turned, you felt like the labyrinth was pulling you deeper and deeper into its grasp. Ok, let’s try this one. Have you ever gotten lost while driving? Do you remember how it felt? You drove along turning this way and that, when a slow sickening feeling began to twist in your stomach as your felt the confidence drain from your body. 

There are times in our lives when we step into the clothes rack, walk down a path, or head in a direction only to realize we are lost. No matter what we do or where we turn, we can’t seem to find our way back to safety or move forward towards our destination. These are typically the times when we rely on Maps and Landmarks. But not all destinations can be traveled by Map and Landmark. Some destinations require a Compass and a Star.

While Maps and Landmarks require names you can identify, and places you can touch, a Compass and a Star offer no such tangibles. A Compass and a Star can only offer a direction to move toward and a point of light to follow. Maps and Landmarks offer anticipation of a guaranteed arrival while a Compass and a Star, again, offer no such timetable. What a Compass and a Star do offer is the guarantee that they can be trusted to always point in the right direction and light the way. 

Over time, we grow to become dependent on Roadmaps and Landmarks, looking for the anticipated turn and familiar obelisk. Until the day arrives when the Roadmap has become obsolete and the Landmark has been removed. That’s the day, like walking down a path or heading in a direction, we realize we are lost and no matter which direction we turn, we can’t seem to find our way.

When that day comes, when you feel like you have lost your way, remember there is One who is not only THE Way (John 14:6), but also KNOWS that way (John 10:10). He is not only THE Light (John 8:12), but also LIGHTS the way (Jeremiah 29:11-13). All that He requires is to trust in the direction He points and find comfort in the way He lights ahead.

So, which are you holding, which are you relying on to get you to your destination? A Map and a Landmark or Compass and a Star? Or, perhaps you have you lost your way. Remember, you are never lost when you stop and ask Him for directions.