We were lost, and it did not make sense. As we listened to my phone give us directions. I began to wonder, did I miss a turn? The further we drove down the windy, dark road, it became more difficult to see up ahead. My high-beams were like matches that had served their purpose and were gracefully fading out. At the same time, looking at my palm-size, dim-lit phone displaying the road ahead, numerous times the words “rerouting” displayed on my screen. I realized there was no signal and I needed to shut my phone off and turn back on.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.
(Proverbs 3:5-8)

The incident I just described is an actual occurrence of where I found myself one night coming back from a weekend conference. Perhaps you can relate to the story. I want you to know that you are a part of a very elite group of individuals that have placed too much dependency on our phones or our small boxes in our vehicles, called “navigation” devices. According to Webster, Navigation is the method of determining position, course, and distance traveled. (emphasis added)

My navigation that night was solely dependent on my phone. I had placed complete trust in a handheld device to lead me home. You may be thinking, why didn’t I turn around or I didn’t realize that something was wrong? The short answer is “no.” I allowed a small box to talk to me and give me directions on how to get to my destination. Where the source of instruction was coming from, I never questioned. Technology is impressive, and the satellites in space transmit signals apparently, but how do we know? We believe, right?

Why is it easier to believe a device telling us play by play direction than it is to accept God’s Word or the whisper of the Holy Spirit? Listening to a phone is a perfect description of what happens when I trust in my guidance instead of placing my trust in the Holy Spirit. Just as I lost my way traveling on that windy road when my signal dropped, sometimes in life, I lose my way. Sometimes I am not connected to the right source. If I listen to the wrong voice or trust without question the voice speaking to me- it can leave me lost. It can leave me lost and searching for familiarity or some resemblance of light.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
do not depend on our own understanding.
(Proverbs 3:5)

In today’s society, it is easy to get sidetracked or concerned about what is around us. Events or circumstances leave us feeling confused. We may feel lost and uncertain about what lies ahead, but this verse reminds us that we have a full-proof plan. That is the first step in getting to our final destination; what are we trusting? The problem is that many of us do not take full advantage of placing our complete trust in the Lord. I don’t know about you, but if I am not careful, I depend on my alleged robust understanding as opposed to the Holy Spirit’s whisper. I began to have an inflated sense of confidence in my efforts and this is where the problem lies. Trusting in Charles’ way leads to a dead-end.

Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
(Proverbs 3:6)

We are to search out what God wants for us, and this is done by listening attentively for His voice and trusting His process even if we don’t see the result. To seek describes a conscientious effort put forth to find something. I was seeking to get home that night, but I was listening from a limited perspective, not observing what was before me.  My navigation was leading me down a one-way road to nowhere, and I was seeing it unfold before my eyes, never stopping to turn around. Reminds me of a Proverb that discusses listening to good counsel. Let the wise hear and increase in learning and the one who understands obtain guidance. (Proverbs 1:5 ESV)  The Holy Spirit is good counsel and helps us improve our knowledge. This statement about the Holy Spirit is easy to say and admit, but it is harder to put in action. I confess plenty of my blunders in life are the result of not seeking or following the sweet, gentle counsel of the Holy Spirit. I found myself hearing and seeing the need to reroute but often failed to follow the promptings.

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.
(Proverbs 3:7,8)

When the navigation is on, the rerouting feature comes in handy. It reminds us that not only has the way been redirected for us, but our destination is still obtainable. The reason may not be our fault; sometimes, we can miss a turn. Let’s be honest. Sometimes we are lost because we are focusing on our way of direction and not listening to that voice intended to get us to our destination safely. It is not always the best way to get back; in fact, it often comes with more twists and turns. There is a way that seems right to a man, but it ends in death. (Proverbs 14:12 ESV) Stop for a moment. Think about the reroute feature as God’s grace towards you and I. Grace is unmerited favor. If we acknowledge the fact that we have veered from the navigation and change directions and follow where it leads, we can still reach the destination. Yes, it will come most times with more steps, but that is why it is called a reroute.

When we allow the Holy Spirit to deliver us after missing or taking the wrong turn, we must do two things to get back on track. We admit first that we are off-track. Then we listen to the instructions to correct our particular predicament, being lost. If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  

What if after so many times of rerouting-the navigation just turned off, leaving us to find our way? What would we do? More importantly, what could we do?  We probably would have to calibrate our navigation. This calibration is sometimes our last hope in finding our way back home. We calibrate navigation when a connection breaks with the source giving directions. Communication no longer transmits to us. In turn, they are leaving us to trust our sense of direction to do anything—a dangerous place to find ourselves. The question is, where are you going?

If you need to calibrate your sense of direction, stop and do it. Allow Christ to come in and take control to restore that connection with the Holy Spirit so that you can hear pure instruction to get you through this journey of life. Call your Pastor or godly counsel, if you don’t have a church home, ask God to lead you to where He wants you. To get what you need to put you on the right path.

Lord, we thank you for your Holy Spirit. Thank you for the reroutes in our lives when we were going the wrong way. We thank you for the ability to calibrate with you to regain the connection we so desperately need. Please help us to know where we are going and not lose our way.

In Jesus’s name, Amen

Be Encouraged Friend…