Hiking is one of my favorite hobbies.
My family and I can often be found on the Cleveland trails or paths near our house.
We’ve also centered vacations on visiting parks to hike, whilst one of my dear friends and I are slowly checkingq we off all the hiking trails of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
I recently wrote a devotional connecting hiking and faith, Strength for My Path: 52 Devotions from the Hiking Trail.
I love each and every entry, however the one about the need to carry a compass while hiking is the one I’ve thought of often.
When you’re hiking, you don’t know what kind of cell service you’re going to have. Often, you’re hiking in remote areas far from a metropolitan region which means you don’t always have all your cellphone bars.
Without the use of a phone, you can’t rely on the map apps to get you where you need to go.
Sometimes you also get turned around.
The trail may get hard to follow and you may really need some help to get you out of the woods (or the desert, the mountains, the plains, or wherever you are in nature). This is why you need to make sure you pack your compass.
Your compass will help point you in the direction you need to go, keeping you on course and leading you toward your destination (out of the woods!). Doesn’t this sound just like the Bible?
Our sacred book which is thousands of years old is old tech! But it still helps to direct us through the twists and turns of life when we’re not sure which direction to take.
Just as a compass points north, the Bible points to God, his love, and HIS instructions.
Through stories, letters and poetry, the Bible offers guidance and training in righteousness. The Bible teaches us about God’s character, his promises and his commands.
Scripture can also rebuke and correct choices we make that do not align with God’s desires, and even more powerfully so when we spend time reflecting on it.
The Bible can show us how to live in line with God’s path and his ways. Like a compass, the Bible can realign our thoughts, attitudes, and actions with God’s divine purpose.
Additionally, just as with a compass, if you don’t use the Bible it can’t help you!
If your compass is lost at the bottom of your pack, it may be pointing north, but you won’t know it. If you don’t reflect on (and even memorize) key verses from the Bible, it can’t guide you.
So always carry a compass in your pack when you’re hiking, and be sure to spend time in the Bible so it can help direct your paths in life.
You can connect with Maureen on IG or her website.
This article has been adapted and reprinted with permission by the author from Strength for My Path: 52 Devotions from the Hiking Trail, BroadStreet Publishing, copyright 2024.