Cynthia was worried. It was her daughter Janelle's sixteenth birthday and the family had gathered to celebrate. Dinner had been ready for nearly an hour but it sat untouched, getting cold. Everyone awaited the arrival of Janelle's grandmother who was over two hours late! Cynthia tried calling her mother but received no answer. Just about the time the family was about to go out searching for Grams, the headlights of her familiar brown Honda pulled into the driveway.

Once Grandma was in the house and settled, Cynthia asked, "Mom, what took you so long?"

"The interstate was backed up for miles. There was an accident that had all the northbound lanes blocked."

"What were you even doing on the interstate? The North Ridge Expressway is much more direct. It's twenty minutes faster, at least, even without any traffic."

"What Expressway? There's no expressway on my map," Grandma explained puzzled, pulling a ragged, folded up road map from her purse.

Cynthia couldn't believe what she was seeing and hearing. "Why are you still using that old thing? You know, the cell phone we gave you for Christmas has a GPS on it. That would have told you the fastest route. At the very least, it would have warned you about the shut down interstate."

"That thing might be great for you and the kids, but it's too difficult for me. All those pictures and screens and knowing what to push and not to push. It's too confusing. Besides, I got here without it, didn't I?"

"But you’re two hours late! We were worried, and you didn't answer when I called."

"Oh, I bet the phone's battery is dead. I just never think about it and forget to charge it."

* * *

God's Law is a lot like Grandma's smart phone. If we are willing to use it, we can save ourselves a lot of grief. Just as Grandma would have avoided problems on the road and arrived safely at the correct time, the Law is there to help us avoid problems in life and to arrive where God has planned, safe and in his timing.

Found throughout scripture, God's Law gives direct or indirect instruction about every aspect of our lives: relationships, sexuality, finances, business, parenting, charity, health, worship, spirituality, government, environment, and the list goes on. Following these instructions goes a long way to helping us solve or avoid many of the problems we face in this world: broken friendships and families, unwanted pregnancy and abortion, sexual diseases, marital strife and divorce, abuse of self and others, corrupt business and politics, poverty, troubled youth, incarceration, and more.

However, even when we try to follow God's commands, trouble still seems to surround us. This is not surprising as even scripture makes it clear that in this world we always face trials (John 16:33). Even when using a GPS, sometimes we might find ourselves on the wrong road or stuck in traffic. The same goes for our lives. However, in this case the problem is not the GPS (God's Law); it is us. For starters, we live in a fallen world. While we might follow Biblical principles, we can only control ourselves. Others often do not hold our same principles, and for this to work as God intended, both parties ideally should follow the same rules.

Secondly, for best results, one needs to practice these things consistently without wavering, something man in his fallen nature is simply not capable of doing. Like Grandma and her GPS, we all have those times when we find God's commands frustrating, confusing or too much trouble. In fact, many times we don't even think about them and we forget to charge the smartphone (i.e. read and study scripture, attend church, etc.). None of us has perfectly kept the Law every second of our lives. But we are not without hope. Just as Grandma was able to reach her daughter's house without the GPS, we can still reach God apart from the Law. But don't get me wrong; I'm not saying we can just disregard God and do whatever we want. God still requires something from us. This is where Jesus comes in. When we put our faith in Jesus, the only one who was able to fully keep God’s Law, he acts like Grandma's map, leading us to a relationship with God. Just like someone who drives around without directions will never reach their destination, we will never reach God without Jesus (John 3:16; 14:6).

If we will still encounter life's daily struggles and our relationship with God is secured by faith in Christ, then why follow the Law? Lest I steer you wrong, let me revisit my original point. God knows what we will face and what is best for us. He gave his Word so we would have the tools necessary to navigate life like a GPS helps us navigate the roads. Janelle's Grandma would have avoided long delays and had contact with her family if she had used her phone. Likewise, we can avoid troublesome situations, make smarter decisions, and be a blessing to others if we pray, read, and abide by God's Word (Matt. 6:33). Making life easier is certainly not the only purpose of the Law, but it is one that should attract our attention. The sooner we accept this, the sooner we can hit God's road and reach our destination, which might be a good idea, since Jesus is waiting for us and he is ready to celebrate!

There might even be cake!

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What's Up On The Half Air YouTube Channel:

For anyone who is interested, I am still posting gameplay videos on my YouTube channel. Recently, I have begun posting a new series playing the puzzle game The Witness. You can check it out by starting with Part 1 here.