All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

As we conclude our #Familyroadtrip, we need to consider one more vital aspect of a road trip. It is that of navigation. We all need help from time to time finding our way. In July, Christina and I had our second child. He is a blessing from God. Holding him in my arms, I began to think about my responsibility to bring him up in the “nurture and admonishment of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). This is no simple task and one that will last a life time. I began to consider what that might look like and where that will lead. As I thought about all the possibilities of our new journey as a family, I realized that I’m likely to encounter many obstacles, questions, and winding paths along the way. How will I ever know the way? Thank God he still communicates with us and will show us. As we pray and seek his will we can discover the way through his Word. It’s as the old song says, “I’m using my Bible for a roadmap.” There are three important aspects of using a roadmap that we should consider.

A roadmap is only useful if it is accurate.

Have you ever used an inaccurate roadmap? Once while driving in Chicago my wife and I were “told” by our GPS to turn left onto a bridge that was no longer intact. In fact, It ended about 100 yards away and about thirty feet in the air! Talk about a road trip. The Bible is God breathed! It is initiated by his authority and wisdom. It is the best roadmap for life. There is nothing else that even compares.

A roadmap is only useful if it is understood.

It takes time and patience to learn how to read a map. I remember in grade school the tedious lessons on map legends, distances, and symbols.  In this verse, Paul reminds Timothy that the Bible is great for:

1) Teaching- Revealing God’s character and love for us. In it, God reveals the life that he desires to give us, and how we may attain that life.

2) Rebuking- The Bible not only reveals God’s character and our purposes, but it also confronts us with the reality of our sinful nature. There is a holy conviction that challenges us and points out the areas in our life that we don’t measure up to God’s standard.

3) Correcting- I’m glad the Bible doesn’t only rebuke us, but that it is also able to guide us and correct us. It doesn’t leave us defeated with our heads hung low, but it elevates us to a new standard of grace through its powerful teaching and application. The Bible is literally filled with people just like us who have encountered situations similar to ours and reveals how they responded by faith. 

4) Training in righteousness- The Bible reveals how we may grow in our relationship with Christ. It is literally a training manual on how to have a right relationship with him. Through faith, we live by grace in the life that god wants us to have. We have a new purpose in him.

A roadmap is only useful if it is applied.

It’s not enough that we simply have an accurate map that we understand. We must put the map to use. A good map that is not followed might as well remain at home. God’s word is meant to impact our daily lives and enable us to live the life that God has purposed for us. We are made free by the word and are guided by God’s principles. We must apply it to our lives!

So, pick it up off the shelf and dust it off, or download the app to your phone, and place the icon on your home screen as a reminder. Spend time reading it and learning of God’s grace.

If you have difficulty reading, listen to it online at www.biblegateway.com. This is also a great resource for a few free study tools. Other great resources are:

blueletterbible.org

biblestudytools.com

Apps

Youversion Bible App is a wonderful tool to encourage you to read and spend time with God’s Word.

Scripture typer- Is an app designed to help you memorize Bible memory verses.