I Love My GPS!

One of the neatest gadgets that I have seen in a very long time is the portable GPS. GPS stands for global positioning satellites and it is some very cool technology developed by the U.S. military. I got one for my car a while ago. It audibly speaks the directions to my destination. It tells me “Turn left on Polk Street in 500 yards.”

The voice is a nice female with a British accent. I have named her “Jill”. I like mine so much that we bought our kids each one for Christmas. They are way cool. Jill tells me how to get to where I want to go in a turn by turn fashion. And if I want to take a different route, then I just hit the “Detour” button and Jill reroutes me in an instant. If I want to find a gas station, Jill guides me there. If I need to find a restaurant, Jill knows the way.

I also like maps. I like all kinds of maps. Before I got “Jill” I would faithfully print out a Yahoo map or Google map before any excursion. I even printed one out when I was just driving across town. Before that I would go down to the local AAA office and get a TripTik before any family vacation. The point is, I like to know where I am going on any trip. I even want to plan the route myself ahead of time.

Contrast that with Jesus’ call to His disciples in Matthew 4:19. It is a simple call. “Come, follow me.” And Peter and Andrew did just that! Jesus did not sit them down, discuss potential possibilities, lay out a plan, draw up a map and then present it all to them. In fact, they didn’t even have time to put away their nets. James and John were pretty much the same way.

What would I have done in that situation? Of course I like to think that I would have left it all and followed Jesus, right? In fact I am pretty sure I would have followed Jesus…eventually. I mean I would have showed up at some point after I went home and discussed it all with my friends, made a plan and drew up a map.

But that “immediately” part is real hard for me. I am the kind of person that wants a plan and a map to follow ahead of time.

Jesus says “Follow me”.

He doesn’t have the map.

He IS the map.

He is the God Positioning System.

Jesus, Savior, pilot me,
Over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treach’rous shoal;
Chart and compass came from Thee:
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

When at last I near the shore,
And the fearful breakers roar
‘Twixt me and the peaceful rest,
Then, while leaning on Thy breast,
May I hear Thee say to me,
“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”

Jesus, Savior, pilot me by Edward Hopper