07 26 07 GPS (God’s Providential System)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;”
(Proverbs 3:5 NKJV)

Nowadays, everyone has some sort of guide to direct them around in their day. It may be Mapquest, Magellan, Tom-Tom, or some other Global Positioning System (GPS). The Lord is the most reliable object of confidence. He knows where we are at all times and at every second. He doesn’t have to track us down or get our coordinates before finding us. He knows our present location, but also where we have been and where we are headed.

“‘For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the LORD. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope’.”
(Jeremiah 29:11 NET)

Leaning upon God’s Providential System, instead of the world’s way of thinking, will give us peace, strength, and understanding in our daily dealings as well as our future plans. His providence literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things. Most of us, however, would rather trust our own guidance and then lean upon God’s understanding when we mess up!

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice––the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?”
(Romans 12:1 NLT)
The dedicated Christian is not one whose actions are shaped by his personal whims and desires, nor does he conform to the values and goals of the world about him. The Christian is one whose life is conformed to the Word of God and whose whole thought process is being re-shaped. Just as at the fall, man’s intellectual facilities were corrupted, so the Christian experience should be a life-long process of restructuring our thinking in conformity to God’s Word and God’s will. Giving over our guidance system to the Lord begins with our heart and mind. It’s first an internal thing! Our body is His; a temple of the Holy Spirit. We must treat it as such! It’s best to let the Captain drive His own ship!!!!
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love. For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately.”
(2 Peter 1:5-8 NET)

There are evidently degrees of ownership of these qualities Peter writes of, implying degrees of productivity as we grow in our intimacy with Christ. This no doubt requires consistent discipline and guidance in our maturation process as a believer. We must determine to lay out a plan each and every day to give ourselves over to the Lordship of Christ. If we want our Savior, we also must accept our Lord. Does He know where we are? Yes indeed! Do we know where He is? Hum……..….Let me look up His location!