Daily Devotional – Finding Your Way


“Now you are the body of Christ,
and each one of you is a part of it”
I Corinthians 12:27

Finding Your Way
April 28, 2020 by Kevin Van Wyhe

After a few more steps, the feeling of panic began to well up inside.   I couldn’t quite remember.  Was it this way or that way?  I thought this was the same path I took to get here, but now in the diminishing light, I wasn’t sure.  The trees were quickly shrinking in from all sides.   The more I walked, the more I felt unsure of where I was.  Armed with only a small flashlight, the next 30 feet looked just like the last.  Then the moment of truth found its way to my lips.  In complete fear I uttered out loud, with only my own ears to hear; “Oh No, I’m Lost!”

If you have ever found yourself in a moment of crisis like this, you know exactly the feeling I speak of.   Now in the days of handheld GPS units and cell phones, these moments have become less and less – but when the batteries fail and the power dies, people are often in deep trouble as they literally find themselves; “in the dark without a flashlight” and unsure of which way to go.

In the absence of a GPS or a compass, there are only a few ways that you can get your bearings straight when you are lost.   One method that will surely fail you is that, contrary to popular belief, moss does not grow on the north side of a tree. However, knowing that the sun always rises in the east and always sets in the west and that the North Star always points to the north, can save your life and help you find your way.

The North Star gets its name by simply being one of the brighter stars that remains fixed in the northern sky.   You can find this star by first locating the Big Dipper.   After finding this familiar celestial collection, you then follow the front two stars of the dipper and look directly in line and above. There you will find the North Star.

Once you have discovered which way is truly north, you can begin to figure out the other directions as well.    Keeping your eyes fixed on the North Star you can ultimately plot a course that will lead you out of your current predicament.

When we lose our way spiritually, we often have that same panicked feeling of not knowing where we are or which direction we are going.   No matter how hard we try, we just can’t seem to get our bearings straight.

In Hebrews 12:1-3 we find a wonderful tutorial about how to find our true spiritual north.

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

By keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of our faith, we are able to find our way through the challenging landscape of a sinful and broken world and avoid those terrifying words; “I’m Lost.”   Jesus created a path that always leads to life in Him no matter what.  If we try to make it any other way, we quickly discover that the moss of sin will throw us off every time.   Everything in this world will ultimately fail us, but the light of Jesus Christ never will.   He is our True North and will always lead us to life.  You can trust Him completely!

Prayer:   Dear Jesus, thank you for enduring the cross and showing me the way out of this broken and sinful world.   Help me to cast off daily the things that keep me from living completely for you.  Help me to trust that your ways are always perfect and true.  Continue showing me your purpose and plan for my life.   Help me not to grow weary or lose heart as I strive to follow your direction in my life.    Amen.