God’s Direction

I thought I knew the way, but I plugged the address into the GPS just to be sure. I didn’t want the kids to be late to the birthday party. The destination was across the bridge, near my “old stomping ground”. When the GPS had me get off in the downtown area, I began to question the device. I kept thinking and saying, “I don’t think this is the best way to go”. I was confused, but I still obeyed the navigation system. I began to feel frustrated because I didn’t know the exact location of my destination.
We can become frustrated when we think we know the way, but we don’t exactly know where God is leading. Sometimes, God makes our direction very clear. He may even give us a future destination. However, He often requires one step at a time obedience. He tells us to take a step and once we do, we will receive the next direction. “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps” (Prov. 16:9).
I hesitantly followed the GPS, hoping for a sign that I was heading in the right direction. We do the same thing with God. Often, we hesitantly follow and expect Him to confirm our direction with a sign. While He may bless us with confirmation, God desires for you to know Him and to trust that He will not lead you astray. He is trustworthy. Unlike the GPS, God will never lead you down the wrong path. He is intentionally leading you through every turn, even the ones that you don’t understand.

I became concerned that something was wrong with the GPS, so I slowed down and pulled over to check the address that my daughter had added into the device. I wanted to be sure we were going to the right road. It address was correct and finally, we were directed back onto the highway. When we aren’t sure we are going the direction God has indicated, we should slow down and pray. Once you have confirmed God’s direction, it is important to obey.
Then, the GPS indicated that we would be fifteen minutes late to the party. How frustrating! At least I finally had an idea where we were headed. We were now going in the right direction. When we exited the highway for the second time, the navigator directed us through several turns. Despite the many last second turns, I finally reached my destination! Unlike the GPS, God gives us plenty of time to respond and to obey His direction.
We often feel like God’s direction is running late. Perhaps, life isn’t going as we thought it would by this time. Just like the multiple turns and confusion in my GPS journey, life has a lot of twists and turns that we don’t expect. Things don’t always move as quickly as we think they should. Maybe you like your job, but a turtle could climb the corporate ladder quicker than you are. Or, maybe you expected to be married by now, but God hasn’t sent that special person. Perhaps, the stork is running late with that first child. We tend to become frustrated, and impatient on the path. Unlike the GPS that slowed me down on the drive, God’s timing is perfect and good. He knows what we need and He prepares us for the good gifts that He has in store. Unlike the GPS, we have plenty of time to obey God’s direction. His plan is worth waiting for. Psalm 27:13-14 says, “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord.”