You Are Here

I noticed the school bus stop near our driveway the other day. It got me thinking. I wondered how school may be different now than it was when our children went (they are in college now). As my thoughts continued to wander, I had deep thoughts, such as, 'What will the world be like when these children are my age?' And some random thoughts, like: Do they still teach children how to read maps? I would benefit from a refresher course on this myself!

You may recall visiting a large shopping mall or amusement park and needing to find a map. What’s the first thing you look for? The red arrow or star that shows you where you are. It may even say, “You Are Here”. The same approach is used to find your way with your favorite navigation tool. Where do you start? Your location. You navigate where you need to go by knowing where you are. Without knowing where you are, you cannot get to where you want to go.

This may be where that map refresher course could come in handy. You are not actually lost when you don’t know where you are going. You are lost when you don’t know where you are. You must begin with your location. Only then can you discern how to get where you want to go.

There are lots of people and things trying to tell us where we are going. Many of the messages we hear are concerning. It is important to be aware of the times, but let’s not forget that before we begin to worry or become worked up about where we are going, we must first know where we are.

Here is the challenging thing we need to know about our location. Things are not always as they seem. Let me try to explain. If you have ever traveled to another country or perhaps even to a different region of your own country, at some point it occurs to you, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” There are different cultures, languages, values, weather patterns,  styles of clothing, and more. Those differences remind you where you are.

In a similar way, when our feet are planted in the kingdom of God, it looks different.  It feels different. The kingdom of God is under the rule and care of God. It’s a different culture. It’s an unshakable kingdom (Heb 12:28 NLT). It’s a refuge, a shelter, a place where God will save us and be with us in our troubles. (Ps 91:1-2,15) And because it is different, we will not always understand what’s happening or how it works. Paul reminds us that God is at work in his kingdom and does things that we would never believe, even if someone told us in advance that it would happen.” (Acts 13:40,41)

When you realize you are in the unshakable kingdom of God, there is still trouble. There is still suffering. There is still evil, hardship, and death, but it’s all happening under the shelter of God. The shelter of God is reassuring and trustworthy. All God’s ways are loving and faithful towards those who live with him and follow his ways. (Ps 25:10)

Knowing where you are helps you understand how to live. You can live with hope. You can live in peace. You can relax knowing there is more to the story. All is not lost. In the Kingdom of God, we have a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6)

I like the way James Bryan Smith says it:

“You are one in whom Christ dwells and delights. You live in the strong and unshakable kingdom of God. The kingdom is not in trouble, and neither are you.”

Remember where you are.