Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
– Psalm 119:105
When I was a child, my family often took trips to see my relatives in Arkansas. Most of my dad‘s relatives lived around Batesville, Arkansas. We would load into the car, early in the morning, and start the long drive. The highways in Arkansas are much improved these days. 40 years ago, we would drive winding, two lane roads up through the Ozarks, to arrive at our destination. I spent most of the trips fighting terrible car sickness and the roads twisted and turned.
My dad knew the way, but we always had a map in the car. I remember my dad asking me to use the map and tell him how far we were from the next town, or when the next turn would be. It was on these trips that I learned to read a map and follow directions. This was long before GPS in our car or on our phones (we didn’t even have cell phones). Reading a map was an important skill that allowed us to safely arrive at our destinations.
Learning to read a map on these trips was not about getting to that current destination. I’m sure I thought I was really helping my Dad navigate, but my Dad knew where he was going. He was teaching me how to make a journey on my own. I was learning how to read the map and the road signs so that one day I could experience travel, or perhaps find my way back home.
There are so many reasons we read the Bible. One of them is so that we can learn to navigate life. Our heavenly father knows the way. God has given us the great stories of our faith to help shape our decision making. Reading the Bible helps us to live the life that God intends for us to live. We read scripture to have our faith strengthened, our minds sharpened, and our wisdom infused with God‘s insight.
I want to encourage you to keep reading through the Bible. The stories within its pages are training us for the journey ahead.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
