I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8 NIV

When I was about fourteen our parents often took my younger sister and I on day trips to the museums in New York. Like the average young boy I was hoping to see dinosaurs , but my step-father decided it was a better education to trudge through the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim or anyplace filled with paintings. One day after bringing us over to the Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn they decided to head back to Manhattan for lunch. At first I could hear mom say, “Look, there’s the Empire State building, just head that way and we’ll get there!” So, my step-dad headed through downtown Brooklyn towards the landmark which they could see in the distance. I don’t recall much except hearing him say, “I’m not going to stop and ask for directions. They always tell me to turn around and go the other way!” So they just kept driving, always keeping what was then the tallest skyscraper in New York in view. Unfortunately, when we came to the river our parents suddenly realized that they had forgotten they needed to cross a bridge!

Life is often like that. We are pretty sure we know where we need to be going and how to get there but we have forgotten that we need to cross God’s bridge. In Psalm 32, David shares with us how God had helped him out of the very lost part of his life, when he had sinned by having an affair with Bathsheba. But before he could receive God’s promise, David had to stop and ask directions – an act we call repentance. We often delay this as long as possible, because we know that, just like my step-dad, we will be told to turn around and go in the opposite direction.

But, if we will just humble ourselves and admit we are going the wrong way, God has a wonderful promise. First, He says that He will instruct us – In other words He will open His GPS app, called the Bible, and show us the way to the bridge. Next, God promises to teach us. In other words He gives step by step directions at every turn. But the best part comes at the end of the verse when He promises is to guide us with His eye. What an amazing Savior we serve. He is watching right now, wondering what we will do when we finally realize we need to find the bridge! He is always waiting for us to stop and ask for His help and forgiveness. When we do this, He promises that He will lovingly keep His eye on us by coming down, sitting next to us and riding alongside all the way across the river!