Acts 17:11 (NIV)
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for
they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures
every day to see if what Paul said was true.
We
recently returned from a trip to North Carolina and southern Ohio. On that
trip, we leaned heavily upon the GPS on our phones. GPS is a remarkable thing.
It has the ability to guide you to where you want to go, often making course
corrections along the way to help you avoid delays. I am thankful for GPS, but
it has its drawbacks as well. On several occasions GPS has taken me down roads
that I would have preferred not to travel. On a couple occasions it has
actually taken me to the wrong destination. In the main GPS is great, but it in
not infallible.
One of
the drawbacks of GPS is that we are losing our ability to read a map. While GPS
may give you the best route to take from point A to point B, it fails to give
you the big picture. I happen to like maps, so when we travel, I pick up road
maps whenever they are available. Sadly, paper maps are becoming more rare. For
most people today, GPS has replaced paper maps altogether.
In my devotions,
I have been reading a collection of readings from C.S. Lewis. I recently read
an excerpt from Mere Christianity called WHY WE NEED A MAP. Lewis makes the point that our spiritual
experiences are enriching and engaging but limited. He illustrates by
contrasting a walk along the beach at the Atlantic Ocean to looking at a map of
the Atlantic. The experience of walking along the beach may be more pleasurable
than studying a map, but it will not get you from England to America. If a
person wants to traverse the Atlantic Ocean, they will need a map to get them
there. His point is that studying theology may not be as exciting as experiencing
God’s presence in nature, but it is the key to actually reaching pour ultimate
goal.
Today, with
the rise of social media and AI, I think we have fallen into the trap of having
a GPS spirituality. We have traded diligent study of God’s Word for quick
answers found on the internet or the latest podcast. We are allowing a kind of
spiritual GPS system to guide our spiritual journey rather than studying the
map for ourselves. The outcome is often unprofitable and at time dangerous.
Using spiritual GPS can blind us to the big picture of God’s Word. It can also
lead us down paths that go in the wrong direction altogether.
In the book
of Acts, there is a telling statement. It says that the Bereans didn’t just
listen to what Paul had to say, but they went back to scripture to check it
out. In my many years of ministries, I have often challenged my hearers to do
the same thing. Don’t just take my word for the truth, check it out for
yourself. There is only one way to do that and that is to go back to God’s roadmap,
the Bible.
A number
of years ago, I developed a class for my church on basic Bible Doctrine. As
C.S. Lewis pointed out, many people are turned off by doctrine, but it is
essential to our faith. Studying Bible Doctrine can unlock the breadth and
width and depth of scripture. It can give us the big picture and help us to
navigate the particulars of our journey better.
In Psalm
119, the psalmist expounds on the value of reading the map.
Psalms 119:97-104
(NIV)
Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.
I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.
I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word.
I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
This is
not an uncommon theme in the Bible. We are encouraged to study and meditate of
God’s Word. It is both the foundation for our faith and the guide for our
spiritual journey. As the psalmist says in Psalm 119:9-10, How can a young
man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my
heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
Paul
included this same idea in his second letter to Timothy. As he was encouraging
Timothy in his role as the pastor of the church in Ephesus, he challenged him
to keep his eyes on the map. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
It is
easy when you travel to become dependent upon GPS. But when the signal is lost,
you can get lost as well. It is easy to depend on spiritual GPS to guide your
spiritual journey, but when the signals you are receiving contradict one
another or radically change course you may find yourself in a place you do not
want to be. It is much better to learn to read the map for yourself, and like
the Bereans, weigh what you hear through the filter of scripture instead of
whatever is currently popular.
Matthew 24:24 (NIV)
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and
miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.
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