Gather the riches of God’s promises. Nobody can take away from you those texts from the Bible which you have learned by heart. –Corrie Ten Boom, Holocaust survivor and inspirational speaker

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Friends of ours once rented a house in rural western Pennsylvania. Nearby, sat a rather large stone with a benchmark permanently attached to the surface. Long before GPS units came into existence, the U.S. government embedded metal benchmark disks as fixed points of reference to identify specific locations. Surveyors utilized them as guides to define property boundaries, while a confused traveler breathed a sigh of relief knowing that he could use an authorized benchmark to establish a clear sense of direction.

A person wandering through a wilderness doesn’t need to recognize all of the surrounding territory as long as he or she can identify at least one fixed point of reference. The ability to identify something—a mountain, for example—not only provides confidence, but also helps lead the way to civilization.

Fixed Points of Reference

A benchmark, however, must be firmly fixed. I once read of a mountain climber who anchored a disk in ice at the top of Mount McKinley. Not surprisingly, future climbers were unable to find the mark he had set. Ice may be hard, but it is highly uncertain.

In a spiritual sense, we can find our way through confusing circumstances if we’re able to locate reliable spiritual benchmarks—those fixed points of reference that remain rock-solid regardless of what’s happening around us.

Our ability to navigate the sometimes rugged terrain of life is only as effective as the standards by which we are guided. Perhaps you, too, have seen a news report of an unsuspecting driver crashing into a storefront, running into a field, or even drowning in a lake while following the directions of a GPS unit. A worthy benchmark must provide an accurate standard by which our situation can be accurately measured or assessed.

A worthy benchmark must provide an accurate standard by which our situation can be accurately measured or assessed.

God’s Promises Matter

In our day, a multitude of loud voices confidently—but often to our detriment—claim to know the best course of action for our lives. Talk show hosts, activists, politicians, university professors, and religious leaders of various faiths all work to convince us that they know what’s best. How confusing life can get! Sometimes we don’t know which way is up. All too often, we find ourselves returning to the same desolate location we passed some time back. Talk about frustration! We would do well to realize that one Voice alone stands true above all others, enabling us to find our bearings amidst the confusion.

We would do well to realize that one Voice alone stands true above all others, enabling us to find our bearings amidst the confusion.

Regardless of what our circumstances appear to be telling us, God’s promises put everything into perspective. The great heroes of the faith understood these things. In following their examples, we’ll never find better points of reference in barren seasons than the promises given by the faithful and sovereign King of the Universe. No matter how much the terrain of this world may shift, or how heated the battles of our lives become, our Father’s words stand as immovable mountains towering over every desolate landscape.

No matter how much the terrain of this world may shift, or how heated the battles of our lives become, our Father’s words stand as immovable mountains towering over every desolate landscape.

Your current circumstances might be screaming with negativity and hopelessness. All that surrounds you might seem to indicate that God is absent or uncaring. You may feel lost in confusion over what’s right and what’s wrong. But God is our rock! We can trust His promises for guidance because each one serves as an expression of His faithful character.

Rest Secure

If you are faithfully serving God with integrity and seeking to honor Him in all of your ways, you can rest assured that you stand secure. His favor will cover and protect you. He’ll never leave or forsake you. If you’re faithful and patient, on a day certain to come, you’ll receive an eternal inheritance that makes an accumulation of worldly wealth look like greenish mold on stale bread.

Like Joshua—and many others—we too can enter every battle with total confidence because our heavenly Father promises to never abandon us in times of need. Let us identify and lay hold of the rock-solid promises of God as spiritual benchmarks so that we may successfully navigate the wilderness terrain before us.

Let’s identify and lay hold of the rock-solid promises of God as spiritual benchmarks so we can successfully navigate the wilderness terrain before us.

This post is drawn from Chapter Twenty-Four of Bob’s devotional: Champions in the Wilderness—Fifty-Two Devotions to Guide and Strengthen Emerging Overcomers.

photo credit: Love Lock in Tampere, Finland (Lemmen Lukko) via photopin (license)