New Territory, No Map

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

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Well, we're a few months into a brand new year, in the 21st century, and I have a lot in common with a guy from the 1st Century B.C. Actually he was a Roman officer, leading his men on a mission that took them into uncharted territory. Back then, mapmakers drew dragons beyond the line of what was known and explored.

So, from "dragon land," the commander dispatched a courier back to headquarters with an urgent message. (This is where I cross paths with this ancient warrior.) He said, "We have just marched off the map. Please send new orders."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "New Territory, No Map."

Man, I get that! I mean, right here in the 21st Century it feels like we've marched off the map. It's gotten crazy politically with elections coming that will change who-knows-what or maybe nothing at all. I mean, it's hard to guess where our country might be headed. The economy is in unexplored territory, too. It's hard to know how to plan for the future. The ticking time bomb of some countries in the world seems to be ticking faster than ever and may go off soon.

Nature's been doing her fair share of wild things, rewriting life stories in her wake. Our medical care in the future - who knows? Places we've always considered "safe zones" have, at times, become killing zones: malls, theaters, schools, offices, airports. And terrorism has multiplied from a few instigators in a mountain hideout to "lone wolf" terrorists, recruited and trained on the Internet.

Our weather forecasts a few months ago warned us of a "polar weather" system, and you could barely move at our local Wal-Mart. People didn't want to be caught unprepared for what was coming. Now, the weather's a whole lot easier to forecast than the world. It's increasingly hard to know what's coming-how to prepare-because there's so much we can't control. But not everything.

Years ago, my wife and I read a book called Future Shock. It was a landmark book by Alvin Toffler. Maybe this "new territory, no map" isn't so new after all. He talked about the "death of permanence" and the importance of creating "stability zones" in the middle of constant change. I like to call it "an island of sanity in an insane world."

My wife and I actually set out to create that "island" for us and our children. An environment where each family member comes home each day to a place that they know they're safe, not another battleground. Where you know you'll be heard. You know you'll be hugged. You know you can talk about things without fear of rejection or condemnation.

Traditions help; predictable rhythms in a crazy world: dinnertime, family night, bedtime and off-to-school rituals, family meetings to talk about family issues. You know, it's a map to go by.

And while there are lots of unknowns about our economy, we can try to make our personal finances a "stability zone" by putting away or throwing away our credit cards; sacrificing to get out of debt, cutting cords that tie us to a system that puts outside forces in control of our life.

Sanity factors: setting up boundaries so I won't be controlled by social media intrusions or over-committing. Leaving room for "Murphy". You know, knowing that what can go wrong just might go wrong. New orders for a new year in uncharted territory? Maybe. Or maybe just rediscovering some old orders we've lost in the shuffle.

Old orders like our word for today from the Word of God, the 23rd Psalm. "The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want." A Shepherd to follow in uncharted territory. Even "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" it says, "I will fear no evil because You are with me" (Psalm 23:4).

I remember how safe I felt when I heard that as a kid. And how much my dad wanted me to read it for him just before he went into the surgery from which he would never recover. The Shepherd, Jesus, said, "I am the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). For Him, there is no uncharted territory. He's even been to the grave and back.

We've all been burned by someone who betrayed our trust. I know, but I have no fear that Jesus will do that. He died for me. Would He ever do me wrong? I've marched off the map a lot in my life. But I've never gone wrong following the Shepherd who knows every corner of the future.

If you don't have that anchor, I want to invite you today to tell Jesus, "I am Yours from this day on." I would love to meet you at our website and help you begin that relationship with Him. Just go to ANewStory.com and find the One who is the map to the unknown.