Directions


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
January 20, 2010

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Psalm1:1-3 NIV

The Outer Banks seems simple for me to get around in my car. With easy access from the north and west and Hwy 12 running north and south there is little chance to get lost. Lots of shops, cottages and hotels dot the landscape and then the occasional glimpse of the ocean makes it an interesting place. I think that the milepost markers that were put in place many, many years ago are still the best directional tool.

Over the years, I can’t count the times my husband and have been lost in our travels and in need of simple directions. He likes to study a map in advance, but fails to take the map with us in the car, relying on his memory instead. I thought the invention of the GPS/navigation system was a handy tool and wasted no time in getting one. That was my contribution to ensure a more efficient road trip. But as with the map, he leaves that at home too! Actually, it is comical at times. I have learned to ride patiently as we circle around, do u-turns and backtrack in hopes of finding our destination. It is not surprising that we have travelled roads we wouldn’t have normally taken because we didn’t have directions.

The Bible talks of one road we are to travel: the path of blameless living. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘this is the way, walk in it. Isaiah 30: 21 NIV.

Psalm 15 talks about the guidelines for living a blameless life. What is a blameless life anyway? Here are just a few things the scripture mentions: we are told to be righteous; to speak the truth from the heart; to not slander or slur anyone and not to do our neighbor wrong. The footnotes for Psalm 15 say we should live by the standards of the Bible and not those of our society. Our actions and the words that we use are a reflection of our relationship with God.

Isn’t January a good time to begin something new? Many people are searching for the right road to take. It’s true that living a blameless life won’t make us immune from bad things that come to try to overtake us, but how much better we will be able to deal with adversity to have God on our side and to walk in His Blameless Ways.