When it comes to a sense-of-direction, I’m lost!  My boys always laughed when I was driving and said, ‘this doesn’t look right’.  They knew we were terribly lost!  When God gave out a sense of direction,  I was missing!

My wife and I love to use road maps.  Remember them?!  Helps to see where we might want to go on a trip.  In Matthew chapter 2 you notice the variety of means that God uses to direct His people.  When Jesus is born in Bethlehem, Magi arrive on the scene.  God provided a star, shining over this royal baby and His parents.  Like the star predicted in Numbers 24:17.   A prophetic vision of a heavenly light.   A dream is given the Wise Men, one which warns them to escape back home.  Joseph receives his own warning through a dream.   Escape and flee to Egypt,  until the political threat from Herod has passed.  Then they can return home to Nazareth fulfilling what had been said by the prophets years before.

Many means of revelation in this one chapter of the Bible.  Angels…a star…strange visitors from the East…dreams…warnings…prophets.  God spoke in many ways.

How about today?  Here we must be very careful.  I’ve seen much abuse over the years, even by well-meaning Christians hungry for direction, insecure and afraid to make one itsy-bitsy mistake.  Been there myself.  Can try to manipulate God by stacking the ‘signs’ in our favor.  A friend was always looking for ‘signs’ about everywhere you could imagine.   Sad really.

Be very careful about getting ‘directions from God’.  Two Scriptures we should consider.  Hebrews 1:  1-2  and Deuteronomy 29:29.  Hebrews says that all these means of revelation used by the Lord have now been summed up completely in His Son Jesus Christ.  Look to Him.  Look at Him in the pages of your Bible.  Don’t let your eyes dart all around.   The gaze at Jesus alone will light your path and make your choices that much less burdensome.  We’ll be free…in Him.  Free to cease navel-gazing, looking upward instead.

Deuteronomy 29:29 says that the Lord has revealed all He wants for us in the Bible. Revelation complete… but not comprehensive.  Much He never reveals to us–‘the secret things belong to the Lord our God…’    ‘Secret things’ that will not be uncovered through some maze of hidden clues, fleeces or signs.  Things God keeps to Himself.    ‘Secret things’–belong to God.  ‘Things… revealed belong to us and to our children forever…the words of this law'(Deut. 29:29).

Prayer:  Dear God, for showing all that you have for us in the Bible, we are in awe.  Thank you.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.