The Navigator

READ: PSALMS 40:1-3; 119:1-16; 1 JOHN 1:8–2:2

Tanisha stepped off her lander onto the strange planet. The ground was soft, almost gelatinous. Odd formations surrounded her. But when she took a step toward one, her navigator—programmed by the king himself to guide her on her mission—beeped insistently. Glancing at it, she saw it was directing her the opposite way. It was no big deal if she explored for a minute though, right? She silenced the navigator and continued forward.

With each step, the ground became stickier, and it was harder to lift her feet. She tried to turn around, but her right foot was stuck fast. She tugged frantically, until without warning her foot popped out of her boot and she fell headlong. She tried to get up, but she sank deeper into the muck with each movement. Completely alone on this strange world, Tanisha knew the ground would swallow her within minutes. Why hadn’t she paid attention to the navigator!

Suddenly, she remembered: she had an emergency signal that went straight to the king. But could she really ask him for help when this whole mess was her own fault? Tanisha realized it was her only hope. Carefully working the emergency signal out of her pocket, she pressed the button. As the ground began to close over her, she prepared for the worst.

Then, she felt a touch on her arm. Strong hands lifted her out, but Tanisha, feeling both relieved and ashamed, was unable to look at her rescuer. When a familiar voice said her name, she almost fell over in shock. The king, here? After what she’d done? Perhaps he was angry with her. Surely he wouldn’t let her continue the mission. But when she glanced at the king’s face, his eyes were compassionate. He held out the navigator, and said simply, “You’ll be needing this.” • Faith Lewis

• Have you ever felt like Tanisha? In this allegorical story, she had the navigator, and God has given us the Bible to guide and help us. God’s Word may feel restrictive at times, but all His commands are for our good. The truth is, though, we can never keep His commands perfectly, and He knows this. In fact, the primary reason He gave us His commands was to show us our need for Jesus. John 20:31 says the entire Bible was written so that we would constantly and consistently place our confidence in Jesus—who is Messiah, the promised one foretold throughout the Old Testament—and by believing that we “may have life in his name.” If you want to know more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.

• When we disobey God and get into bad situations, we may feel unworthy of rescue. However, God knows that we all sin, and He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us by His death and resurrection. When we repent from our sin, we are placing our faith in His promised forgiveness. Until Jesus returns, we will continue to sin daily because, while the Bible shows us what the good way is, it cannot keep us from sinning. But Jesus’s obedience to the Father on our behalf is our confidence and hope. Consider taking a moment to pray, confessing any sins that come to mind and resting in His sure forgiveness.

• If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives in you, empowering you to turn away from sin and embrace joy-filled obedience to God’s good ways. When you face temptation, how could it be helpful to remember that in Jesus you are forgiven, and that you have the Holy Spirit?

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105 (NIV)