The Most Reliable GPS Ever!
By Lance Valentine
Many of us who enjoy the outdoors are familiar with GPS. This wonderful little unit allows us to travel into unknown territory and return safely. We can return time and time again to places that have special meaning for their beauty or our hunting and fishing success there. Most often, GPS is used to “GOTO” a destination-to navigate to someplace we have never been or seen with extreme accuracy and confidence.
Over the years the GPS system has gotten better and better. Improvements in technology have made the units smaller, more accurate and much easier to use. It is fairly easy for a first-time user to read the owner’s manual and immediately have trust that the GPS will keep them from getting lost, and will show them the path home at the end of the day.
Each season I rely more and more on the GPS units in my boat for the same reasons. Venturing out into large, unfamiliar bodies of water is scary. Having faith in GPS allows me to search for fish miles form any land and feel confident that I will be able to return to the boat ramp when the day is over, or return to an exact destination when I leave the dock in the morning. By saving “waypoints” on the GPS we have a record of where events occurred and a path to follow on the way home. By playing “connect the dots” with our waypoints, we created a path to follow that we can be certain will take us to our final destination. We can also share waypoints with our friends and they can follow the same path and reach the same destination that we did
One of the most exciting aspects of fishing the Professional Walleye Tour is getting to share my GPS knowledge with a different amateur partner each fishing day. Many of my partners have GPS units but aren’t really sure how they work, what they really can do and most don’t have complete confidence in their GPS. They ask many questions during the day, and the most often asked questions are what is the most dependable, accurate and easiest to use GPS?
Fortunately the answer is quite simple. The best GPS is actually the oldest and has been around for several thousands of years. It requires only knowledge of your destination, a simple to use owner’s manual, and a few simple waypoints to provide the most accurate navigation ever known to man. What is it? Simply God’s Plan of Salvation (GPS). With this GPS you will never be lost, and the path to your destination will be sure and steady. By following only a few “waypoints” you can navigate through the worst of life’s storms with confidence, accuracy and ease!
Your final destination-eternal life with God in Heaven-is easy to reach by following a few simple waypoints found in the Bible, your owner’s manual for your new GPS.
Waypoint #1 God loves YOU! John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Waypoint #2 YOU are a sinner! In Romans 3:23 we are told “for ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God”.
Waypoint #3 YOU are dead in sin! Romans 6:23 tells us “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life”
Waypoint #4 Christ died for YOU! Romans 5:8 show us this love “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”
Waypoint #5 YOU can be saved by faith in Jesus Christ! In Acts 16:30,31 we are told how “…Sirs, what must I do to be saved? So they said, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Waypoint #6 YOU can be saved and know it! 1 John 5:12 assures us “He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
At this point the path you continue to take is your choice. If you wish to follow these waypoints to the greatest destination ever, simply pray this simple prayer with a sincere heart. “Jesus, I am a sinner, and I’m sorry for the sins in my life. I ask you to forgive me and cleanse my heart of these sins with the blood of Jesus Christ. I give my life to you. Enter my heart as my Lord and Savior, direct my paths, and guide my life from this point forward. Thank you for giving Your life for me, and help me to always live for your glory. Amen.”