God’s Positioning System

Ancient explorers knew their exact location based on the sun, moon, and stars. Between 1768 and 1775, the British explorer James Cook made two voyages around the world, charting much of the South Pacific, using nothing more than a sextant, a simple compass, and the heavens above for navigation. For years, submarine navigation was a big problem. These secret vessels had to frequently surface to get their basic bearings, exposing themselves to enemy fire. But eventually, the U.S. Navy developed the internal marine gyro-navigation system. This sophisticated apparatus enabled subs to get a precise fix on their location even while isolated deep beneath the surface of a dark ocean. If you don’t know where you are, you can put yourself at greater risk of getting hurt. Have you ever taken the wrong exit and ended up in a risky part of a city? GPS (global positioning system) units are becoming standard in most vehicles. Using satellite technology, they help you know your exact location. James Cook’s GPS unit was the sun, moon, and stars.

If you are going to avoid enemy fire, you need to know where you are. The U.S. Navy’s gyro-navigation system was fully proven in 1958 when the USS Nautilus accomplished the impossible. With 116 men on board, the nuclear-powered vessel became the first submarine to traverse the Arctic Ocean under the polar ice. It traveled from the Bering Strait to Iceland via the North Pole in four days. Unable to surface, had the system failed, the crew would have been doomed.

David called on God to save him from his enemies. “For strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life; they have not set God before them” (Psalm 54:3). David’s navigation system was turning to the Lord. He set God before him and could praise the Lord. “He has delivered me out of all trouble” (v. 7).

Key Bible Texts

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5 KJV)