A Map or a Menu?

Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants. If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts. The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies. I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad. Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. (Psalm 119:89-104 ESV).

There are those times when I like the fast pace of places like McDonald’s. It is certainly not gourmet food, but there are those times when it fits my tastebuds. One nice thing about these kinds of restaurants is that the menu is right in front of you. Not like other fancier restaurants where you have to read French to know whether you are ordering snails or mushrooms, neither of which Mickey D's even messes with. So, with that menu-on-the-wall hanging before you, you can order as little or as much as you want.

A menu gives you choices. You can go into McDonald's every day the rest of your life, and you don't EVER have to order McNuggets if you don't want. It's your choice.
It’s not the same with maps. If I were to set out to see my adult children either in Texas or Louisiana, I would probably consult my GPS. Even though I have been there many times before, I like the comfort of looking at the map on the GPS to refresh my memory. Between them and our present location there are many other roads. But, we can’t look at the map like we do a menu. "Okay, I'll take I-80. That looks good. But I don't think I want US Route 23 South. I think I'll choose I-75 South instead. And I'll have a bit of US 52 West. Guess what? You probably won't get to where you need to go.

Menus and maps are two different things. With a menu, you can pick and choose. With a map, you have to use it all to get from point A to point B. Think about that in terms of your view of the Bible. Do you have a menu approach or a map approach? A menu approach allows us to pick and choose which parts of the Bible to depend on, leaving the other portions unknown. A map approach encourages the reader to use the whole thing, not leaving out any of its valuable guidance. Unfortunately, many Christians are using the menu approach. They want to choose which portions of God's Word to believe and obey. This won't work. The entire Bible must be accepted as God's inspired Word. We must accept it all. Live by it all. Study it all and follow it Home.