A few years ago, my honey and I were trying to get to our son’s speech tournament to see him in the state semi-finals.

during rush hour

on a Friday

ugh!

As he maneuvered the traffic on construction laden DFW highways, I was navigating with the help of the Google map app. There were times that Google would tell us to take a route that seemed counter intuitive or weird. My honey, who is great at getting around the metroplex, didn’t always want to go the way the app would direct. He was not sure that Google was taking us the quickest route, and I kept saying the same line:

Trust the Google!

Over the years since our first Google map experience I have continued to recite these words to him as we traverse the country.

When the app takes us off a highway and through a neighborhood on our drive from KC to Colorado – trust the Google!

When we need to avoid California traffic – trust the Google!

When we drove through West Virginia and took some odd “detours” – trust the Google!

When we are learning how to get around our new city – trust the Google!

It seems so easy, but recently I failed to take my own advice.

I was running errands in KC and needed to get from a store north of downtown to our dry cleaner on the south side of downtown. I pulled up my Google map to see the suggested route. All was going well until I got close to my destination. I was confused as to why my Google map app was telling me to exit the highway earlier than I expected, so I decided to go my own way. I was sure I knew a better way.

I was wrong.

My Google map knew that there wouldn’t be exits where I was convinced there would be.

My Google map was trying to take me the quickest route, but I failed to

Trust the Google!

As I learned my mistake and laughed at myself, I couldn’t help but think of Proverbs 3:5-6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

How many times have the directions of God seemed confusing, so I just chose to go my own way?

How many times have I been convinced I knew what I was doing when I did not?

It is interesting to me how I can confidently tell my honey to “trust the Google” yet found myself second guessing it.

In the same way, it is easy for me to tell my friends to trust the Lord yet turn around and have difficulty taking my own advice.

How silly of me!

Now, if you have used Google maps, you have probably experienced a time when it failed you and you thought – “I knew I couldn’t trust the Google.” Okay, maybe you didn’t say THAT, but you probably realized the fallibility of the app.

At times Google gets things wrong, but my God does not.

The Google map isn’t perfect, but my God IS!

The more I spend time in God’s word, the deeper I know Him and His character. And the more I know His character, the easier it is to trust Him (although not perfectly).

I am thankful that God’s trustworthiness isn’t based on my trusting Him. He is intrinsically trustworthy and doesn’t need my affirmation to be so.

I am thankful that He uses a situation like me taking the “long way” to the cleaners to teach me of my need to trust Him. What a kind Father He is!

How are you trusting in yourself or something other than God? Do you doubt He knows the best path for you?

Let’s ask God to work in our hearts, helping us to trust Him alone.

Let’s ask God to give us friends who speak of God’s trustworthiness to us.

Let’s thank God for His kindness in teaching us about His character.

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. – Psalm 9:10

You (God) keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. – Isaiah 26:3