A respected author, along with her husband and friends, were on a mountaintop discussing which direction to go. One guy said, “That’s south!” Another countered, “No, that’s east.” Everybody threw in their two-cents’ worth, until finally the woman’s husband produced a compass and said, “We can settle this real fast.” Within seconds the compass confirmed they were, in fact, facing due west! The only reliable source had the final say, and nobody was about to argue with it. In the course of a day, many voices vie for your attention, and some that sound like experts can be dead wrong. Bottom line: you had better know which voice to listen to, because if you look only at your circumstances, you will become disoriented. An unexpected phone call, a floundering relationship, a lost job, or a sick child can make north look like south and east look like west. When that happens, it’s easy to lose your bearings, jump to conclusions, and end up on the wrong path. The Bible says, “Whether you turn…right or…left, your ears will hear a voice…saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” There is only one true source of wisdom and truth, and Peter recognized that when he asked, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68 NIV). You don’t need to know every detail in advance; that’s not how God works. Often, He doesn’t show us the big picture because we would be overwhelmed and think it was impossible. He wants to develop in you an unshakeable trust in His character and goodness; an acceptance that in order to fulfill His plan, you must depend on His strength.