S.O.S.

Where is Bear Grylls when you need him?

Inn the post before, I told you about the time I made the dumb choice to continue running through the Colorado wilds even after I realized I had missed the trail? I thought I knew where I was going but quickly found out, I was lost.

Honestly, I don’t mind being lost. It has happened to me on several occasions. There are times when being lost appeals to me. Playing hide and seek, or needing a break from work are a couple good reasons to get lost for a little while.

Most of the time, I get lost because of a choice I made, the choice to go my own way instead of following the established trail. We have this plaque in our house it says… “Don’t go where the path may lead, go where there is no path and leave a trail.” That sounds pretty pithy, doesn’t it? It really sounds cool, doesn’t it? Makes it seem like we are very adventuresome. Makes it sound like I am right up there with Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, Zebulon Pike or John Muir.
Actually, it’s pretty dumb. Our intention should never be to get lost on purpose. Not only does it cause ourselves to be placed in harm’s way, it causes our family unnecessary grief. The look on my dad’s face when I got found was enough for me to always stick to the trails. Best way to keep from getting lost is to follow the map.

Sometimes we get lost on accident. Not a choice we make just happens. I love watching the discovery channel. A couple of my favorite shows, besides “Mythbusters”, are “Survivorman” and “Man verses Wild”. I won’t pretend I could do what those two guys do. It would be fun to try, except for some of the things they eat and of course Bear’s habit of drinking his urine. No thanks.

I know Bear Grylls has faced some harsh criticism for being a faker. Honestly, he should. They should have been upfront with it all the time…it’s a TV show not real life. There are camera crews, sound men, light crews and support people and someone is standing by to make sure nothing really happens to him. It’s pretend but the advice he gives is good advice. His intention is that hopefully, you won’t have to use it but if you do you can survive being lost.
Here is his advice if you ever get lost. Three things to remember… 1. Get your bearings. 2. Make a plan 3. Get moving.

I am going to break those three down and talk about how they apply to the Bible, the ultimate road map of life.

We may think we know where we are going or how to live our life right, but if not careful we will end up getting lost. That is why God has given us his word, the Bible. The Bible is God’s road map for our lives.

Of course there are some people who have a problem with that. There are those who think it is a book written thousands of years ago and has no value for today. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

If we, whether we believe the Bible is God’s Word or have accepted Jesus as our personal leader and forgiver of our life or not, if we would live by the principles found in the Bible, or just by Jesus’ teachings, the world would be a much better place. We would not have to lock the doors to our house. We could leave the keys in the car. We would not have to worry about our kids getting kidnapped. We wouldn’t have to fear that our life savings would go down the drain because of other people’s greed. There would be no war, no hate, and no fear of terrorist attacks. The world would be a better place if we would all just live according to the teachings of the Bible.

It can free us from our past, prepare us for the future and guide us in the present, but only if we allow it to be part of our life. It can keep us from getting lost if we do what it says.

When Bear says, “get your bearings” he means, go to high ground or climb a tree and see if you can figure out the lay of the land. Try to determine which direction is north and which way would be the best way to get back to civilization. Concerning the Bible, it’s kind of the same way, before we can use it for the greatest benefit in our life, we need to understand it. We need to see the bigger picture. We need to understand its history so we can see its value for today and tomorrow. So let’s get our bearings.

The Bible is a very unique book. This week I want to share with you some basic facts that show its uniqueness. Next week we are going to jump into the evidence that is proof that the Bible is the Word of God.

Our Bible was written over a time period of 1500 years, by 40 different authors, kings, peasants, philosophers, fisherman, poets, scholars, shepherds, doctors and rabbis. Parts of it were written in the wilderness, in dungeons, on hillsides, in a palace, and even on a military campaign. It was written at different times, in times of war and in times of peace.

The writings took place on 3 different continents, Asia, Africa and Europe. It was written in three different languages, Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic.

The Bible is divided into two sections…the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the history of and the teaching for the Israelite people. The books that it contains are the very same books the Israelites have used for thousands of years. Jesus even used it while he was on earth.

There are many lessons we can learn from the Old Testament. But the primary purpose of the Old Testament is to tell of the coming of Jesus. Everything about it points to Messiah that would come to save mankind.

The New Testament contains the gospels, story of Jesus life, his teachings, death and resurrection. It also contains the history and teaching of the first church and also one book of prophecy.

The Bible covers hundreds of different topics but agrees in complete harmony. It is read by more people and published in more languages than any other book in history. It has changed history more than any other book ever written.

Psalms 119:89
Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.