The Light and the Map

I awoke this morning to see a thick, murky fog all around. It was a bit depressing. But as I went outside to take the photo above I also found it beautiful—in its own way.

Unless it’s nighttime. It’s one thing to drive in fog during the day when there is a hint of light but when it’s dark outside and it’s foggy it can be downright dangerous and a bit scary. This can really get terrifying if you are on a narrow mountain road.

I’d imagine that most people feel like they are driving in dense fog at midnight on a dangerous mountain road right about now. No light, no guide, no way to know if they are going the right direction or heading towards a cliff.

This is the real difference between someone who is saved and someone who isn’t. We are in the same circumstances, we endure the same murky fog at midnight… but we have been given a light and a map.

Fog only allows us to view one step at a time. It is impossible to look very far down the road and see where we are headed.

But God has given us a light (Jesus—John 1:4-5) to guide our steps and a map (the Bible, God’s Holy Word) of where we are going. We can see the next step (submission and obedience to God’s Word) and we know exactly where we are going (Heaven).

Of course, if surrendering our will to God and obeying His Word had been our priorities all along, what’s going on in the world wouldn’t have us so rattled. We talked about being pilgrims, we talked about persecution in vague terms, we’d lightly talk about heaven being a better place.. But now…well, now, we really mean it, don’t we?

And so we travel in this alternate universe one step at a time with our light and map in hand showing us the way to go, recognizing that not only are we pilgrims in a foreign and very strange land but we are hated pilgrims in a foreign land. Very few want our light and even fewer have any interest in our map.

But here’s the thing: That light and map we have—we are supposed to share it with others. We aren’t responsible if they choose to continue in darkness rather than to grab hold of the light. We aren’t responsible if they get angry and toss the map back in our face.

We are just responsible to share.

So let’s not be discouraged. We only need to take one step at a time and God has given us exactly what we need for that duty. He has told us exactly where this world is headed. While we may not know the exact layout of the land nor can we predict each curve or mountain, we do know where it’s going and where the road ends. In that, we are so blessed.

So share that blessing with others. Share your light and your map with those walking beside you. At work, when you are shopping, in school, sometimes even in our churches—so many are traveling without these invaluable tools to navigate this murky, dark time.

They may not want them but may it never be said that you didn’t offer!