by Pastor Larry Sorrells, Rockville, Trinity UMC

Most of us are familiar with the old adage, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” It is a theme that has long been the plot of television shows; where the lead characters build beliefs and opinions around a little bit of knowledge that turns out to be wrong. On television, the results are often funny, and no one is really harmed. In real life however, following those same actions can be embarrassing and hurtful to many.

There is an old and interesting map on display in the British Museum in London. It’s an old mariner’s chart. It was drawn in 1525, outlining the North American coastline and the known waters that surrounded those lands. Most of the new continent’s interior had not been explored at that time and just a few hundred miles of coastline was the only evidence of what was actually there. At the time, only a handful of explorers had even been to the Americas and they relied on the scattered Indian tribes for information about the land. Keep in mind, many of these explorers were not kind to the Indian natives and the natives were not necessarily excited about these strange visitors from the sea venturing over their native lands. Some of the natives created fanciful tales and legends about what was beyond the coastlines and the dangers that would lie ahead for anyone who was foolhardy enough to take on the task of exploration.

It was with these tales in mind that the cartographer made some notations on areas of the map that represented regions not yet explored. He wrote, “Here be giants.” “Here be fiery scorpions,” “Here be dragons.”

It is true that whatever lies in store for us beyond the “coastlines” of our lives is known only to God. But God has not been so unwelcoming to us as to give us no hope for tomorrow or no foundation of knowledge to where we cannot have confidence as we make our way through the journey of our lives. 2 Timothy 2:11-12 reminds us that “if we die with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him.” Paul continues in verse 15-17 to tell us,

“Make an effort to present yourself to God as a tried-and-true worker, who doesn’t need to be ashamed but is one who interprets the message of truth correctly. Avoid their godless discussions, because they will lead many people into ungodly behavior,  and their ideas will spread like an infection.”

Simply put, if we live in faith today, endure the problems of the day, and study His message of truth, the promise of tomorrow is bright. Our future will have no dragons, no scorpions, and no evil giants. We will have a loving God who is with us all the way.

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