Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Your Personal GPS



Scripture: "Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, 'This is the way you should go,' whether to the right or to the left." Isaiah 30:21

Going Somewhere?

What if you could hear advice in your heart when you went to make a difficult decision? Or what if you had a "life map" that helped you navigate where to go and how to get there...for your most meaningful life? Life is difficult to navigate, but God has a personal navigation tool you. He wants to give you both a life map and a "voice" to guide you at each turn.

Get There

For me, I am not very good with directions. So when GPS (Global Positioning System) came out, I was thrilled. If you're unfamiliar, a GPS is a tool that takes a map of the world, narrows it down to streets and landmarks, and tells you exactly where you are and how to get where you want to go. You click a button and it shows you all the landmarks around you. And then you enter in your final destination, and a voice tells you just how to get there. This is what I need in life, and you probably feel the same.

Your Own GPS

Did you know that God has given you your own GPS for life? It's God's Personal Support, through the Bible and His Holy Spirit. The Bible is the map and God's Spirit is the voice. He wants to lead you at every life turn, every unknown situation, right into His Promised Land. This is His promise to you: "The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8 So let's learn about the tools He has given you and just how to use them!

Start with the Map

The Bible describes itself as a map, written for you, from God's perfect bird's eye view. God said,
"'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the Lord. 'And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.'" (Isaiah 55:8-9)
The landscape you see around you may look one way, but God sees it from up above. He sees where every road leads, and the curves you can't see from your perspective. He wants to guide you around the turns and lead you into the land He has for you.

Listen to the Voice

And going even beyond a road map, God wants to tell you personalized directions to help you navigate through the issues you are facing. The Bible says, "Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, 'This is the way you should go,' whether to the right or to the left." Isaiah 30:21 Imagine you are in a meeting with your boss and don't know what to say. The Holy Spirit wants to give you secret wisdom to succeed. Or say you are unsure about how to relate with your children. The Holy Spirit wants to whisper to you: "Do this. This will open up their heart to you."

The Secret Key

But let me tell you a little secret about hearing the voice. Jesus said, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26 Now, how can you remember something you never heard in the first place? That's why taking the time to read the Bible is so amazing. It's like building out the map of your "Life GPS", bit by bit. Let me give you an example. One day, I was really on edge, and someone said something to me that really bothered me. My temptation was to snap at them, but the Holy Spirit reminded me of a verse I had read earlier: "A gracious woman retains honor." Proverbs 11:16 That was Him saying, "Veer Right." So I purposefully was extra gracious and avoided a little pothole. That is just one small example of a million ways the Holy Spirit wants to give you daily guidance for your life—and get you to the great destination God has for you.

Begin Today

If you have never experienced that inner counsel—or maybe you have gotten out of the habit of using God's GPS—He is offering it to you today! He wants you to hear His voice—every day—and walk in the great path He has for you. The first step is to build out your life map by reading His word daily. The Bible says,
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a treeplanted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leafdoes not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (Psalm 1:1-3)
This tool from YouVersion will help you establish a daily plan of reading God's Word, sending it straight to your e-mail if you want. I personally promise that if you read God's Word daily, you will begin to hear His voice more. If you want to hear God helping you every step of the way, tell Him in the Comments today! Just say, "God, I want Your GPS! Thank you for guiding me, every step of the way!" Let's use God's GPS together.

No comments:

Post a Comment