A compass is a device used for navigation and geographical orientation. Its needle is magnetic and aligns with the magnetic north. Since we know the north through the compass, we can figure out our south, west, and east. So, if we are lost and we do not know which direction to go, we can use our compass to figure out where we need to go. In the early stages of World War II, the German submarine U-boats had been patrolling and sinking US ships on the coast of North Carolina. In 1942, a German Submarine, the U-123, sank the American merchant ship SS Alcoa Guide 300 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The crews of the SS Alcoa Guide managed to get into the lifeboats before the ship sank. While the crews were floating in the middle of the ocean, the coast was not visible to them. All they could see all around them was the vast ocean. Using the compass, the survivors sailed west by northwest toward the shipping lanes. Three days later, a plane patrol spotted them and rescued them.
We need a compass in our lives if we want to stay on the right course. Unknown and sudden circumstances can take us off course, and when we become disoriented and confused, we need a compass to lead us back to the right course. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)." Just like the compass, our Lord Jesus is our way to the right course of life. When we are confused and in need of guidance, our Lord Jesus can guide us. When we do not know what to do in certain situations, we can pray to our Lord Jesus for direction. When we lose our way because of bad decisions and are in need of rescuing from the mess we created, God can rescue and restore us. The crews of SS Alcoa Guide could have been lost in the vast ocean of the North Atlantic Ocean, but since they had a compass, they managed to stay where the ships normally traveled for better visibility of other ships traveling in the area.
In this new year, we need to stay with our compass of life. Our Lord Jesus is ready to guide us through this new year. Let us not be deceived by the lie that we can make it through this year without the true compass of life. We need our Lord Jesus to guide us as we constantly navigate through life.
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What is a compass used for? Who is my true compass in life? Am I daily following my Lord Jesus as my compass in life? If not, why not?
Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, You have given me the true compass of life, my Lord Jesus. Please help me always follow my Lord Jesus so that I can stay on the right course in life. Please help me not believe in a lie that I can travel the path of life without my Lord Jesus. There are so many things that can throw me off course, and I need constant guidance. Thank you, Jesus, for being my true compass. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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