We make plans and follow the path that is set in front of us, but we can’t see down that path any further than the next step. Often, we think we are heading in the right direction, but we can’t know for certain. We get to a fork in the road and must decide which way to go. But, how? We need a map to guide us and a light to illuminate our next steps.

No one wants to risk moving ahead without knowing where the next turn is. Back in the day, we put our faith into printed maps to get us to where we wanted to go. Today, we “trust” GPS to do it. We tend to place a false sense of security and trust in these guides, hoping they get us to where we want to be, only to discover an unmarked detour, or that the parking lot we are searching for is actually a swamp.

It’s funny (ironic) that, though we have experienced “bad” directions that leave us wondering where we are, we continue to place our absolute trust in these directional tools. We do the same thing in daily life.

For some reason, humans naturally want to follow their own plans, even though future steps are completely hidden. People “hope” they are on the right path, heading the right way, using the right “guides” to get them where they want to go. No matter how wrong or bad our directions may be, we follow them as if they are infallible.

God knew humans were going to struggle with direction, so He simplified the process and provided for our poor sense of direction.

God’s way

God provides clear instructions on how to secure our faith and get to our eternal destination. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light. No one comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6). You don’t need to guess and “hope” that the path you are on to take you to your eternal destination is the right one. Jesus identifies for us how we get there. No guesswork needed.

But what do we do each day, in the meantime? I’m glad you asked! Throughout scripture, God reminds us that He will lead. All we need to do is follow, because “you have never been this way before” (Joshua 3:4).

God’s path

God doesn’t use a faulty map or app. He provides clear instructions to help us locate and stay on the right path. First, He warns that our own path is wide, broad, and leads to destruction, while His path leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13).

God then states that, because everything He does for His children is always for their good (Romans 8:28), we don’t have to fret or fear (Philippians 4:6) about the future (Matthew 6:31–34). Simply follow His lead (Proverbs 3:5–6).

God provides His guidance system — using and following His Word (Psalm 119:105), the Holy Spirit (John 16:13) to lead and teach us the way to go (Psalm 32:8), and He gives us the counsel of friends and a Godly community (Proverbs 11:14) to provide encouragement, direction, and fellowship along the way.

We can trust the faithfulness and goodness of God (Hebrews 10:23) to keep us on the right path. We don’t need to know all the turns, forks, and potholes ahead of time. We simply need to trust Him to lead us on the path He already knows, sees, and controls.

God’s light

Speaking of seeing the path, God illuminates our next steps. God says He is our light and our salvation (Psalm 27:1) so there is no need to fear the next step. When we are close to God, we experience His light as it penetrates the darkness (1 John 1:5) because there is no darkness in Him.

Next steps

Trusting God provides an infallible way, direction, and path that truly leads to eternal life while providing daily guidance and light to successfully get us to our destination. We don’t have to hope we are on the right path, only to find our map or GPS was wrong.

When we hit a “detour” or challenges, it’s not our directions that are wrong. It’s God working in us to exercise our faith and strengthen our walk with Him. He knows those obstacles are there, but He also knows how to navigate us through those obstacles — something we cannot do on our own.

By faith, Abraham trusted God and followed His leading, even though Abraham did not have the full picture of where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). We can have that same level of trust and faith in our unchanging, infallible, faithful God. He has provided for our eternal destination and given us the provisions and tools to ensure we find and remain on the right path that gets us there.