The M.a.p.

The M.A.P.

Bible Blast: Read Proverbs 16:1-3

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

The next time you walk into a gas station with your parents, look for an atlas—a collection of maps. When you look on the cover of that atlas, there’s a good chance you’re going to see the words “Rand McNally.”

William Rand and Andrew McNally ran a printing company together in Chicago in the 1850s. Rand McNally was the first big map publisher to start using numbers to name roads. They actually put up a lot of road signs themselves. The government liked the idea and kept it up.

If you can read a map, you really can go just about anywhere. If you live in Tallahassee and want to get to Phoenix, all you have to do is find both places in the atlas and follow the roads that connect them.

There’s another kind of M.A.P. It gives us the road to an amazing life with Christ.

The M stands for “Ministry of the Holy Spirit.” John 14 tells how Jesus comforts his disciples by telling them that after he’s gone from earth, God will send the Holy Spirit to be with them. The Holy Spirit ministers to us by helping us know what’s wrong and right. He also fills us up and helps us minister to other people. We need to depend on him every day.

The A stands for “Authority of Scriptures.” Hebrews 4 tells us that God’s Word is totally alive! It’s not like any other book in the world. The Bible is the numero uno place where we go to find truth. Every Scripture you read is 100 percent true, and that makes the Bible the “boss” of everything else.

The P stands for “Power of Prayer.” Prayer is a huge part of loving God. If we don’t talk to him and listen to him, how do we expect to become more like him?

Follow Rand McNally’s map if you want to get to Phoenix, but follow God’s M.A.P. if you want to experience an awesome life with him.

Girl Gab: Do you know how to read a map? Does your mom? Grab an atlas, and figure out the way to get to a dream destination of yours. Pray that you would love God more every day and become more like him.