Articles
TRUST THE COMPASS
A friend of mine was an avid fisherman. His boat, however, was not equipped with radio or
navigational equipment, so he had to fish at all times in sight of land.
One day, he and a party went out a bit too far, out of sight from land. He knew where he was
(he thought) though the day was overcast and directions were a bit confusing. At the close of
day, he upped anchor and headed home. The men in the boat with him, however, let out a howl
because each one thought he was going in the wrong direction.
Joe searched in his tackle box and came up with his son’s cheap compass. Looking at it
closely in the gathering gloom, the compass said that “west” was in the opposite of everyone’s
opinion. Thus the men howled even louder as Joe turned to starboard and headed for what he
hoped was home.
Many thoughts raced through his mind as he continued on. Was the cheap compass right?
Were they going home or further out to sea? Would anybody ever find them? With each doubt,
Joe shook it off and renewed his faith in the compass. Suddenly, he looked up to see the faint
glow of lights on shore. Heading straight in, the boat touched shore some 25 yards away from the
trailer. They were safe at home.
This also is a good illustration of trust in the face of human reason. God wants us all to “get
home safely” when it comes to our souls, and He has given His spiritual compass to get us there.
It is called the “Bible.”
As we float out on life’s sea, our friends and loved ones have their own opinions on how to
get home, but the compass must be followed at all costs (Psalm 119:145-147).
Out here on the sea, with all the people yelling out their opinions, the Bible may seem to fly
in the face of all reason. But the wise person is he who will cast his faith in the Divine Book, and
trust it in the dark. After awhile, the light will break, and you will find that the Bible brought us
safely home. And that is all that counts.
