The Spiritual GPS Check

>> Happy Sunday. Do you have a good sense of direction? I do not. Years ago my wife gave me a Garmin GPS unit for Christmas.

Years ago before Google Maps and Waze and Apple Maps were available for your cell phone, Garmin was the best electronic GPS around. It was not cheap, but it was invaluable to me. I am directionally challenged. We live in a world of directionally challenged people.

Listen to these words from Proverbs 14:12 about that. There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death. Let me do it again. There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.

We don't have to go too far in scripture to find an example that proves that Proverbs that that proverb is true. In Genesis 2, God gives a warning to Adam. I'll read verses 16 and 17. The Lord God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for the day that you eat it you shall die."

Now that seems clear to me. Eat whatever you want, stay away from that one tree or you will die. You know what happens. Chapter 3 gives us the bad news.

I begin there. Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. The serpent said to the woman, "Did God say you shall not eat from any tree in the garden?" The woman replied to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that's in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.'" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die."

They're dead now, aren't they? "You will not die," he said, "for God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you'll be like God, knowing good and evil." So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. And she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.

Then the eyes of both were opened. They knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. Genesis 3 is a sad story.

Adam and Eve were directionally challenged. It looked so good. It seemed so right. The story of not following directions has been repeated by each and every one of us through history.

Romans 3:23 tells us, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We've all messed up. I join the list with Adam and Eve. Back to Proverbs 14:12.

"There's a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death." By the way, this verse is so important. It's repeated word for word in Proverbs chapter 16 verse 25. Look it up.

Proverbs 16:25, same verse. Let's look at some ways where the way seems right to us, but it ends in bad things. As we apply this this, death can mean physical death. Death can mean separation from God, distance.

What about self-centered living? It seems right. Look out for number one. Put yourself first.

If you can cheat and lie your way to the top, whatever it takes, you're just looking out for number one, aren't you? That's the way of many. It's not what the Bible teaches. Another way that seems right is people who say that they want to follow their heart.

Their heart becomes their guiding force, their compass, their inner compass. And it's not God. People who follow their heart have no need for God's word or the leading of the Holy Spirit. Along these lines, what about people who are addicted to pleasure?

To them it seems right. If it feels good, do it. Families are torn apart by the addictions available today. On the financial front, many of you are familiar with the story of Dave Ramsey.

He has great teaching on finance. His radio show has millions of listeners. His organization, Ramsey Solution, has helped countless people get and stay out of debt. When Dave was a young man, he invested heavily in real estate all on borrowed money.

When the market changed, his loans were called, they were due, and he could not pay. He filed for bankruptcy in 1988. He was 26 years old. Dave rebuilt his life and began to help others following biblical principles.

He learned that his way was wrong, although it looked right, and that God's way was the way to go. One of Dave's favorite verses is found in Proverbs 22:7. The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. When we get to chapter 22, we'll take a look at that great teaching.

I looked back and I thought about a situation 1983. Genie and I were just married, and we needed a washer and a dryer. In those days, the best place to go was Sears and Roebuck. And our salesman signed us up for a credit card.

We could buy them that day. The interest rate in 1983 on a Sears card was around 21%. What a great deal. We went home that day with a new washer and dryer and a credit card balance.

It seemed natural. It seemed right. Everybody else was doing it. The commercials made it look okay.

Thank God we paid it off quickly and never got into credit card trouble. There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death. Be careful to align your direction with the way of God. Pray with me.

Lord, thank you for giving us guidance and direction and for being so clear in your word about so many principles for life. Help us to follow your teaching. Help us to be careful what we look at and make sure we consult you on all that we do. Father, thank you for the gift of today.

I pray for my friend Tom who's been in the hospital this week. I pray for your healing touch. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

God bless. Have a great day.