Becoming A True Navigator

Old sailors like to tell the story of the young sailor learning to become a navigator.* 

Aboard the ship at sea, the captain said to him, "Please tell us where we are."
The sailor took a sextant and made the complicated set of calculations. After a while, he wrote down the coordinates of longitude and latitude and handed it to the captain. The captain studied it for a while, checked his charts, and then said to the young navigator:

"Are you absolutely convinced that these are the right coordinates?"
"Yes, sir, I'm absolutely convinced."  
"You know exactly where we are?"
"Yes, sir." 
"There could be NO conceivable mistake in your calculations?"
"Absolutely NOT, sir. I've done my best." 

Then the captain said, "Well, then I would suggest you put on a jacket." 
"Why, sir?" "Because according to YOUR calculations, we are planted squarely at 
the TOP of Mount Washington!"

God has given to us a Guidebook to provide guidance for our lives. This Guidebook is: the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  It was given to be “a lamp to our feet and a light to our path" (Psalm 119:105).  Proper use of this God-given Manual not only reveals where we are but ALSO where we need to be!

The Bible reveals – "There is a way that seems right to a man – but its END is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12)  We are directed rather to: "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean NOT on your OWN understanding.  In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and - HE will direct your paths!" (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The Bible reveals – that in order to reach our proper destination, we need to be
in Christ, i.e. in a proper relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.  Our Manual also informs us that a penitent believer in Christ is baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:27).  Once in Christ.... we are instructed to CONTINUE to follow the Manual until we reach our intended destination: Heaven. Our Guidebook makes known to us that Jesus opened up the way for us through His sacrificial death on the cross for our sins (Hebrews 10:19-22).

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker [or, a navigator] who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing [or handling correctly] the word of truth [i.e., our instruction Manual]" (2 Timothy 2:15).

Let US allow the "light" of God's Word to -SHOW- us the proper course.  

And may we ALSO be diligent to -FOLLOW- that course, so that we may reach that wonderful harbor of heaven!

God bless you.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695  

* From Gordon MacDonald

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