Psalm 119:105
I’m sure you remember the old Rand McNally Road Atlas that used to be a staple of the yearly American vacation experience. As a kid, when our family went on a trip somewhere, I’d love to sprawl out in the back of our brown Ford Aerostar van and flip through the detailed pages of the state maps. These days, all one needs to do to get somewhere is merely tell Siri. Just punch in the address or coordinates of your desired destination, follow along the prescribed route, and you are there in a cinch. Maps are a part of life. Whether it be in paper form or electronic these aren’t the only kind of useful maps. All of us make mental maps that help us do the things we need to do—pick up groceries, run to the store, drop off library books, or do the things we love. We mentally map out our day or the work that we need to do. Maps serve a very practical purpose in that they help us get where we want to go. With a good map and sense of direction, it is next to impossible to get lost. I may not know where I’m going, but I always know where I am!
I don’t know if you realize this is or not, but God has given us a road map for living the Christian life, and it is called the map of sound doctrine, or biblical theology. The psalmist said that God’s Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. The Bible is the most unique book in human history. It is one of the oldest books in the world, and despite its ancient age, it is still a modern bestseller. Tyrants have burned it, scholars have dissected it, and God’s people cherish it. It is the most quoted, the most published, the most translated, and the most influential book that has ever existed. It stands alone from all the other books that have ever been written because it alone is the very Word of God with the power to transform individual lives and entire cultures. It is the truth of God that has been revealed by God to humanity. Because of sin, we never would have stumbled upon truth by ourselves. We need a revelation of God of Himself. God had to speak into our world that is deafened through sin.
We ache to hear the voice of God because our souls are uniquely shaped to respond to God’s voice. We’ve been made in God’s image. God took the initiative to communicate His truth, to shine the light of His truth into our darkness. It is not by coincidence that, thousands of years ago beginning with early human history, God called a particular people to record His words in a way that they would be preserved and available even after the memories of His miraculous works faded. God began to inspire a book, a written record that would reveal who He is, who we are, what our problem is, and how we can be saved. The Bible is our map that leads us to the priceless treasure of Jesus Christ. Open it today!
For more, read Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:19-21
