Where’s Waldo?
Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:1-2
Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Hebrews 12:2, The Message
DO YOU KNOW where Waldo is? How about Beverly, Martin, Murray, or Stanley? You can even find Elvas if you know where to look.
We’re not talking about the Waldo you look for in picture books. This Waldo is a “where,” not a “who.” So are Beverly, Martin, Murray, and Stanley. Those aren’t the names of people but of places. Waldo is located in the state of Kansas. Beverly is in Massachusetts, Martin is in Czechoslovakia, and Murray is in Utah. You’ll find Stanley in the Falkland Islands and Elvas (not Elvis Presley but the town of Elvas) in Portugal.
If you tried to find those places by trial and error, by roaming around, or even by searching for them on a road map, you’d be looking a long time-and probably wouldn’t ever find some of them! But with a little help from something called a GPS, it would be a snap.
A GPS (Global Positioning System) is an electronic device used by pilots, navigators, and others. A GPS sends a signal to a satellite, which stays in position in space above the earth. The satellite determines where the signal is coming from and reports that information back to the GPS. This whole process is called “getting a fix” on your position. It’s a really handy tool if you’re ever lost in the sky or on the ocean.
Of course, most of us don’t have much need for a GPS. After all, we don’t usually go wandering around in strange places in the Pacific Ocean. But we do need a kind of GPS for our soul. We get kind of lost in all the choices we face and all the decisions we have to make. Sometimes we may lose sight of what’s right and what’s wrong. We end up coming up with bad ideas and making bad decisions.
The answer is to keep our eyes on Jesus, our GPS. He’s been through all this before, and he not only knows what’s right and wrong, he is right because he’s God! If we just keep our eyes on him-by spending time talking to him in prayer, worshiping him alone and with others, and reading his Word every day-a lot of those tough decisions and confusing choices tend to get straightened out. This is not because we’re so smart but because he is.
REFLECT: Spending time with Jesus can sort out a lot of the confusion kids and teens (and adults) go through. When is the best time for you to spend time alone in prayer and Bible reading? Morning? Evening? Some other time?
PRAY: “Jesus, I need your direction every day. Remind me to keep my eyes fixed on you so that I will be less likely to get lost or confused.”