Out of the Woods
As the weather begins to cool I find myself looking forward to the days that I will be walking into the woods on a dark morning to watch the sun rise and the woods come to life. I love the outdoors but I’m not typically that far off the grid. We don’t really have as many places in our area to get off the grid as they do in Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Canada, and other places across the globe. In some of those places, you can be hours or even days away from help if tragedy were to strike. In watching, reading, and listening to survival stories it always seems that way too often people find themselves without the essential tools and resources they need when tragedy does strike. They failed to pack enough water or food, forgot to let people know where they were going, and didn’t realize that they left their phone laying on seat of their car...hours away from where they currently find themselves.
That last item--if in a place where service is available--is an essential element of survival when things go south. Thanks to modern technology it offers light, GPS, communication, and information. If there is no service, then a satellite phone is recommended --that and a good map and compass. You need to know where you are, what direction to go, and be in contact with someone who can give you guidance. The more of those things you have, the more likely you are to survive whatever situation you have found yourself in.
It is not that different for us in our spiritual walk with God. It is good to know the starting point of where we are. There are plenty of places in Scripture that remind us to examine ourselves and check our hearts (2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Peter 1:10-11; Psalm 139:23-24). But we also need to know the direction we need to go. We need God’s compass if we want to get out of the woods. God’s Word directs us in the steps we should take and the way we should walk in life (Psalm 119:105: Ephesians 5:8). However, in a lot of survival situations it is first recommended to stay where you are and wait for rescue. God has also reminded us to do that on occasion. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). The Israelites were told to simply stand still and see God’s deliverance as they found themselves in the wilderness between an army and a sea (Exodus 14:13).
Lastly, we need communication with Him. Certainly His Word is part of that communication. Listening to Him and following His lead in Scripture is essential, but so often we work out our struggles through prayer. When we find ourselves lost in the wilderness of sin there is no better place to turn than to the One who has a bird’s eye view of our struggle. Talk to Him. Lean on Him. Ask Him. Seek Him. Follow Him. Hagar learned that He is the “God who sees” (Genesis 16:13). He saw her then. He sees you now. If you take stock of where you are now and realize you are lost, check in with God’s Word and cry out to Him. He will see and hear and He will “guide you in the paths of righteousness” because His name is riding on it (Psalm 23:3).
Ben