This summer I spent a month taking a 5,000 mile road trip!

I flew from our home in San Jose, California to our home in Vero Beach, Florida. My wife stayed in San Jose to see our daughter & grandson frequently, and to care for our three cats and our grandson’s hamster.

I drove my car (an Infiniti QX70 nicknamed White Lightning) out of the heat, humidity, and hurricanes of Florida.

First, I drove north to Rochester, New York. Next I drove east to visit our son in Manchester, New Hampshire. Then I drove west from Portland, Maine through Rochester, New York, and Chicago, Illinois to the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington.

To complete my journey, I drove south through Portland, Oregon and Northern California, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on the way to San Jose.

As I drove alone for 5,000 miles, a number of ideas popped into my head. Now that I’m back in San Jose, I’m turning them into blogs.

As I drove north from Florida, I visited a friend in Pittsburgh.

My GPS didn’t help much when I drove to his house. Too many hills, detours, and one-way streets.

It took several phone calls with him to guide me to his house.

When I was about to leave, he told me the way to go to get back to Interstate 79, heading north.

Nevertheless, the many hills, detours, and one-way streets once again confused me.

Soon after I left his house, I must have taken a wrong turn. Or maybe two wrong turns!

Whatever the reason, I found myself driving White Lightning down a narrow, steep street. It was paved with stones that were several inches in diameter.

Picturesque. Charming. But terribly bumpy.

Fortunately, at the bottom of this dizzying, disturbing descent, I intersected a major road that I remembered was part of my route for getting out of Pittsburgh.

I turned onto it.

I relaxed for about 20 seconds. Then I once again found myself in a confusing tangle of roads.

Where to go?

I saw an exit that my friend had emphasized I must not take! It would have sent me to the wrong side of the river, heading south.

I forged ahead, not sure which route was the right route. But knowing I had been right not to take the exit that my friend warned me against.

Soon, I recognized the expressway I was supposed to take out of the city.

Before long, I was back on Interstate 79, roaring north!

I reflected on how getting directions to get out of Pittsburgh illustrated the benefits and limitations of various types of directions for finding our way through life.

It’s nice if we can have a wise, knowledgeable person talking with us at every twist and turn. That worked well on the way to my friend’s house.

But, in real life, we won’t always have a wise, knowledgeable person talking with us. Besides, how do we discern wise, knowledgeable people from foolish, ignorant people?

There are two additional types of helpful directions.

Sometimes, directions are best given in the form, “Thou shalt not do so-and-so.”

This is the format taken by most of the Ten Commandments.

Their clarity about what not to do can be very helpful when we are confused and uncertain about what to do.

But such Thou-Shalt-Not-Rules have limited usefulness for two reasons.

First, we will never get out of the “Pittsburghs” of life by not doing anything and by not going anywhere!

Second, reality may have changed since the Thou-Shalt-Not-Rule was given.

My favorite example is a mother telling her 2-year old son, Tommy: “Never cross the road without holding Mommy’s hand.”

This is an excellent rule when Tommy is two.

But it is a silly rule when Tommy is thirty!

Therefore, we need to supplement and modify Thou-Shalt-Not-Rules with Thou-Shalt-Rules.

That’s why, when an expert in the Law of Moses asked Jesus: “‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law [of Moses,]’ Jesus replied ‘“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”[Deuteronomy 6:5]. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [Leviticus 19:18]. All the Law [of Moses] and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” (Matthew 22:37-40).

That’s why, when faced with uncertainty and confusion about the wrong thing to do, the right thing to do, the wrong way to go, and the right way to go, try these three approaches.

First, try talking with a wise, knowledgeable person for their guidance. This is one of the reasons why it is good to be a member of a small group of seekers and believers. This approach includes talking with the wisest person of all—praying to the LORD God himself! (James 1:5).

Second, remember applicable Thou-Shalt-Not-Rules. Adjust them to take into account any changes in facts and circumstances since the rules were given.

Third, remember the two great Thou-Shalt-Rules that remind you of where you want to go—Interstate 79 heading north:

—Live the way that increases your love of the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37-38).

—Live the way that empowers you to love your neighbor as yourself by doing for others what you would want them to do for you. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39-40; Matthew 7:12).

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For additional thoughts arising from my 5,000 mile road trip in White Lightning, please read my blog “Lightning from East to West”.

For additional thoughts about how to apply the Word of God, please read the following Appendices to my book The Promised Land, at pages 153-200: “How To Apply the Word of God Authoritatively”, “How To Apply the Word of God to Specific Matters”, “The Accuracy and Reliability of the Bible”, “The Spirit in Which To Study and Apply the Bible”, “Thoughts About the First Eleven Chapters of Genesis”, “Tax Law Concepts Regarding Adam, Eve, Etc.”, and “Noah’s World, Noah’s Ark, and God’s Rainbow”.