How To Find Your Way

I grew up in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, a beautiful small city nestled between tall rock faced bluffs and the Mississippi River. The prominent outcroppings that towered above the city were a constant invitation to me as a boy, and as soon as I was old enough to ride my banana seat bike around town without supervision, my friends and I were climbing and exploring those bluffs. We’d bring packs and gear that we bought from the army surplus store, and make a whole day of it.The most intriguing to me was the cave I could see on the second largest of the bluffs called “Indian Joe’s” (I think from Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer). It was easily visible from my bedroom window and from just about anywhere in the city. But my friends and I climbed that bluff twice, and spent hours looking without finding the cave. We became disoriented once we got up on the rocks. Everything looked the same and we could not figure out why we couldn’t reach our intended destination. We descended near sundown both times, disappointed and wondering if our eyes had been playing tricks on us.Then I got an idea. From the ground, I could see exactly how to get to the cave. I had gotten a black and white polaroid camera for my birthday that year. So I took a picture of the cave from the ground, and a friend and I climbed the 500’ or so up to the rocky face. I pulled the picture out of my pocket and simply by using a couple of identifiable trees and ledges that coincided with them, we were able to navigate straight to the cave.It was the first time I understood the phrase, “Can’t see the forest for the trees.” When you are in the middle of something, it’s hard to know what direction to go to get where you want to be. We get lost in details when we don’t see the big picture. That’s how it was for us as kids on Indian Joe’s bluff. We never knew where we were on the rocky face in relation to the cave. But when we were able to use the polaroid as a guide, we went straight there.That’s why Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Vision here refers to direction from God. The NLT puts it like this, "Without revelation people run wild; but one who listens to instruction will be happy.”This life can quickly turn into chaos and confusion. It’s only through God’s Word and following his direction and instructions, that untangle the mess of information before our eyes, enabling us to see clearly the right path.I know you’re not hunting for a small cave on the side of a cliff. But I hope you are seeking direction in life. Because, like me, you need it. And God’s Word offers that direction. It’s why the Psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).