Know Where You Are

To know where we are going, it is necessary to know where you are.

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Acts 28:1 – And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

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Here is a simple statement of fact in the world in which we live.  If you don’t know where you are, you cannot go, alone, to where you want to be.  If you have someone with you who knows where you are, you have a starting point.  For example, if I find myself in Ndola, Zambia, unable to speak the language (Bimba), and not knowing where I am, you could say I am lost.  How do I get from there to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA?  Do I go north, south, east, or west?  Do I travel up or down, to the right or to the left?  Do I need a plane, a ship, or will an automobile be sufficient?  If I don’t know where I am, I don’t know the answer to any of those questions, and therefore cannot go to where I want to be.

In our Text for Today, Paul had been in a similar situation.  Yes, he had sailors who could navigate by the stars.  He had soldiers who could keep him safe.  But personally, he did not know where he was.  After being a sea for many days, facing a destructive storm, and being cast ashore when the ship was destroyed, he did not know where he was.  Only after they had escaped the storm, did sailors possibly discover their position by the stars, or local people they encountered told them where they were.  But until they discovered where they were, in the natural sense of the word, they were at the mercy of circumstances.

Do you find yourself today at the mercy of circumstances?  Are you in a place at this moment in which you don’ know where you are?  Spiritually, mentally, emotionally, financially?  It makes no difference what arena of life we are discussing, if you don’t know where you are, you don’t really know how to get where you want to be.  Once again, if you don’t know where you are, what direction do you start?  What resources will you need to make the journey?  You need to know where you are to begin.  OR, you need to know someone you trust who knows the lay of the land.

If you don’t have such a person in your life, allow me to recommend one to you.  He is absolutely trust-worthy, full of life and wisdom, and because He has traveled through this life already, is never lost, always knowing precisely where you are, and what you need to do to arrive where you want to go.  His Name is Jesus.  He is King of kings and Lord of lords, Savior, Redeemer, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent God.  He’ll never steer you wrong.  He knows where you are and where you need to be.  Follow Him.

Manna for Today – Acts 28:1-10; Psalm 119:30; Joshua 1:6-8