Follow Directions
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.”
Matthew 4:18–20
When you follow God’s road map to life, you’ll never get lost.
Professional golfer Tommy Bolt was playing in Los Angeles and had a caddy with a reputation of constant chatter. Before they teed off, Bolt told him, “Don't say a word to me. And if I ask you something, just answer yes or no.”
During the round, Bolt found the ball next to a tree, where he had to hit under a branch, over a lake and onto the green. He got down on his knees and looked through the trees and sized up the shot.
“What do you think?” he asked the caddy. “Five-iron?” “No, Mr. Bolt,” the caddy said. “What do you mean, not a five-iron?” Bolt snorted. “Watch this shot.” The caddy rolled his eyes. “No-o-o, Mr. Bolt.”
But Bolt hit it and the ball stopped about two feet from the hole. He turned to his caddy, handed him the five-iron and said, “Now what do you think about that? You can talk now.” “Mr. Bolt,” the caddy said, “that wasn't your ball.”
Following directions is important in life. Whether it’s map directions, procedure directions, or assembly directions; instruction and direction is a large part of our everyday life.
Maybe you’re like most people and find assembly instructions unnecessary. I remember many times when my children were younger, after purchasing toys for them, I would open the package to begin assembling the toy. The first thing I saw were the instructions. Many times I threw them off to the side, assuming everyone knew how to assemble a simple toy. (Quite frequently I ended up back at the directions to find out why I had an extra screw or rod left over!)
Directions are meant to help us. Despite what some people think, we do not have all the answers to life. We need God’s direction and help to keep us heading in the right direction.
Just as the golfer in the story had silenced his caddy and ignored his pleads, sadly many Christians have silenced God by ignoring His direction in their life. God wants to help guide us, but He can’t if we aren’t listening to Him and obeying Him.
Is God leading you to do something in your life? Has He directed you a certain way? Don’t silence Him through disobedience but heed His direction and follow Him. Remember to always be sensitive to the Lord’s direction. For when you follow God’s road map to life, you’ll never get lost.
To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org.
Daily Bible Reading
Ezekiel 37-39 • 2 Peter 2
