God’s GPS Navigation System (Perfect will vs. Permissive will)
Imagine we are given a car with a limited amount of money for gasoline and other expenses which once consumed, represents the end of our life. Though we might have a variety of cars, they all have the identical, free, state of the art GPS Navigation System installed with precise features. It is voice activated the moment we address it, it is only heard and understood when we continue on the roads traced by it, it cannot be turned ‘off’ only muted, and it has a pre-installed destination (heaven) which cannot be changed. Our goal is to trust and listen to the directions of the GPS and arrive at our final destination with the amount of funds provided. There are very few service stations on this journey with limited available replacement parts for the vehicles, should they break down. The roads traced out by the GPS are the safest and most adapted to the journey that lays ahead (God’s Perfect Plan). It would not make sense for the GPS to trace out a route for us through the Sahara desert while driving a mini-van.
Though at the initial stages of the journey, our starting points on the map may be different, the GPS eventually guides us to merge into one common straight, narrow road. The journey to the common road may contain hills, contours, highways, and secondary dirt roads among other variations of terrain and temperatures. Though not a very popular road due to its challenges, it will be at times flooded with other travelers that decided to activate their GPS, and at times it will be totally deserted with no other vehicle in sight as far as one can see. It is to our benefit to stick to the roads instructed by the GPS and not to follow the flow of traffic believing that any road taken will lead us to the same destination. At times we might be tempted to run alongside the flashy high end cars down bright, resplendent, super highways flooded with restaurants, casinos, shopping malls, modern service stations and amusement parks that entice us for a season of pleasure and lust.
The second we take a wrong turn or miss the exit road instructed by the GPS….. an alarm sounds with a voice saying “Recalculating route to destination”. This is where we enter an alternative route (God’s Permissive Plan) with a series of roads and dangers we were not supposed to encounter, thus pushing our car to its limits. This makes us doubt if the GPS is damaged or malfunctioning. Some, at this point, decide to ignore the GPS due to the rough terrain travelled and start tracing a new route on their own towards the final destination. Eventually, they find themselves lost, with no bearings, endlessly wandering the roads and asking vagabonds for directions. Their only option is to find another traveller who’s GPS is still on full volume and follow them until their own GPS, once more, becomes audible to them. Those who don’t put their trust on their sense of direction, hold on to the instructions of the GPS once it has recalculated the journey and patiently struggle, fighting through the challenges to barely make it to the final destination. But they definitely make it!