Mid-Month Check: The Compass

Smart backcountry travelers check their bearing constantly, not occasionally. A one-degree error means little over a hundred yards — and miles of error over a full day's walk. The time to catch drift is early, while the correction is still small.David's prayer in Psalm 139 is a compass check for the soul: search me, test me, see if there is any offensive way in me. He invited God to examine his heading before the drift became a disaster. That takes courage — most men would rather not know they're off course.Two weeks into this new year of devotionals is a good time for a bearing check. Are the goals you set on Day 1 still guiding you? Has any small compromise crept in — a habit, an attitude, a neglect — that's pulling your heading off true? Small corrections now prevent long walks back later. Invite the search. Check the compass.Prayer:Search me, God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. I'd rather feel the sting of correction now than discover miles of drift later.Show me any offensive way in me — and lead me in the way everlasting. Amen.Challenge:Do a fifteen-day compass check: revisit the three goals you wrote on August 1. For each, honestly mark your heading — on course, drifting, or off trail. Make one specific course correction today.