Standing on the precipice of a new year, an unknown adventure lies before us. It’s taken a climb to get this far. Today I reflect on the summits, valleys, and obstacles beneath me.
Jesus. How faithful He has been to me.
This last year, He walked me through heartache, led me to my first elk antler find, navigated the conversations I had with so many children to introduce them to HIS presence… and so much more. He was my constant companion in joy and loneliness.
He is teaching me how to run in the wilderness.
I’m learning to navigate the wild. It’s easy, and sometimes deadly, to get lost in the wilderness. One needs a good map and compass to stay on course.
And yet, I’ve learned that a compass will not always point true North. A compass will point magnetic North. Depending where you are in the world, because of the gravitational pull of the earth, the compass may be off by up to 30 degrees.
It’s not enough to have a map and a compass. One can still get desperately lost. You have to know how to use them.
The answer is simple. On backcountry maps, a little compass-like stamp on the map will tell you where your compass wants to point – and where true North actually is. If you take just a moment to adjust the setting on your compass according to your map, you’re good to go. This is called setting your “declination.”
How much is this like the coming year?
A wilderness awaits. Danger and adventure lie before us. How will we navigate to stay on course?
God has given us the perfect roadmap for our lives – His very Word, the Bible. Jesus Christ has left us His Holy Spirit within us. We have everything we need. But are we using them?
Our own heart can lead us astray. The magnetic pull of our will to the right or to the left may initially SEEM like the right path… but can quickly take us down a dangerous route. We must remember that it is easy – and deadly – to get lost in the wild.
Each and every day, we must take a few moments to ask the Holy Spirit to declinate our hearts to God’s Word. We need the constant adjustment and reminders. With our hearts lined up with God’s will for us, we are able to move forward in freedom and confidence.
Today, will you join me in committing to the daily declination of our hearts to Scripture? We need the Holy Spirit’s guidance like never before.
I can guarantee it will be an adventure like none other.
“For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.” – Wisdom (Proverbs 1:32-33)
Riding Wild Hope 