November 18: World GIS Day (Geographic Information Systems)

 

November 18:  GIS Day (Geographic Information Systems)

Be amazed.  Be very amazed!  There is a satellite, miles above us, orbiting the earth, that is able to find and track your phone, and tell you within a few feet exactly where you are and where you need to go. 

 Every time we use our GPS function, we are using GSI.  It is called “the science of where.”  The company leading the way in creating software and applications that help us navigate the world is ESRI.  GIS Day was established in 1999 by ESRI President and Co-Founder Jack Dangermond after he had been inspired by Ralph Nader (an American political activist, author, lecturer, lawyer, and presidential candidate, noted for his involvement in consumer protection) to do so. 

My wife will be the first to tell you, she does not have a great sense of direction.  She will often point right and say “left.”  She marvels at my capacity to know which direction we are going whenever we drive.  As keen as that ability is, it offers little in terms of finding my way in life.  For both of us, and you, we need a spiritual GIS.  We need a resource that will reliably tell us where “true north” is, and how best to get from point A to point B.  Should I go left, or right?  Stop?  Go?  

Did you know that God’s word says a great deal about directions?  Go ahead and do a phrase search for “to the right or to the left.”  In almost every case, the reference is connected to the one thing that will keep us on track, keep us moving in the right direction:  God’s commands.  An entire Psalm is devoted to helping us find the right path, Psalm 119 (also the longest Psalm).  

The point is this.  No system exists that will tell us plainly, “take the next left” or “turn right in 500 feet.”  But the only way to stay on track, to navigate this painful, delightful world, is the Word of God.  It contains God’s commands, and, more importantly, it reveals God Himself.  It is a common refrain of this devotional, but it bears repeating.  WE MUST ALL BECOME STUDENTS OF GOD'S WORD.  It is the ONLY resource that we can count on to help us get our bearings and know which path to take.  Read it, daily.  Study it.  Share it.  Memorize it. Meditate on it.  As marvelous as that little satellite is, orbiting the earth, miles in the sky, it pales by comparison to the Word of God.  Today, renew your commitment to God’s word, and fire it up!  Listen as God’s Spirit prompts you--“Recalculating.  Take the next right.”