A man who lived in northern Michigan went for a walk in a densely forested area. When darkness began to settle in, he decided it was time to head for home. He was familiar with hiking in the woods and felt he had a keen sense of direction, so he didn't bother to look at his compass.

After walking for a long time, though, he decided he'd better check it. He was surprised to see that the compass indicated he was going west—not east as he had thought. But he was so sure of his own sense of direction that he concluded there must be something wrong with the compass. He was about to throw it away in disgust when this thought came to him: My compass has never lied to me yet—maybe I should believe it. He chose to follow its direction and soon found his way out of the woods and back home.

There is One who never leads us astray. His instructions are always trustworthy. What God promises, He performs. In 1 Kings 8:56, Solomon told the congregation of Israel that not "one word of all His good promise" had failed. If we think so highly of our own judgment that we refuse to rely on God's Word, we are asking for trouble and will only become more confused. His words have never failed, and they never will. You can count on it!  —RWD  — Richard De Haan