Which direction do I turn?
I often find myself asking this question. I mean… a lot. I will fully admit I am terrible at 2 things in life, driving and directions. I’ve gotten a whole lot better in my skills with driving over the years, but in high school I drove a stick shift car which was a challenge for my 16 year old self. One day, I thought I had put the car in reverse to then go and full force press the gas… I found myself going through my parents garage with that one. Thankfully, my dad had a lot of grace for me as I overcame my skills with driving, but one thing has remained…
I am still terrible at directions. I have been driving to NorthPoint InsideOut almost every Sunday for the last 2 and a half years and I still miss exits I am supposed to take so I‘ve committed myself to using the app on our phone for directions no matter where I go. One evening as I was driving home, I turned the most famous worldly weapon, Siri! “Hey Siri! Lead me to…. “And there she took me. She is brilliant, really. Until she decided to tell me to do a U-turn dead center of I-85. I obviously realized if I did that I’d get hit and I wouldn’t be here today, so I politely ignored her and moved on with my life. Yet, in that moment I found myself having an entire conversation with the Lord and asking him, how many times do I turn to the internet or world for advice over You again and again? That’s where this talk (now blog) begins. As I was praying over speaking to High School students one day, I kept hearing the Lord remind me of this moment and the verse that I often go to when I am overwhelmed. It calms me. It reminds me who really is in control.
Psalm 142:3, “When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set trap for me.” (NLT)
The 2nd half of that verse may not be super inspiring to have brought on that bright early Friday morning or to you as you are reading this blog, but as I pondered more on what the Lord revealed to me then, I wanted to also share with you. It’s important for us to go over and process with the Lord, how many traps has the enemy set for me? How many traps have I planted myself for the enemy to devour? (1 Peter 5:8) The enemy absolutely sets traps for us to fall into. An easy trap that I’ve found in my own life is when I become extremely busy. As I busy up my schedule, the more distant I become from the God who loves me deeply. Not purposely, but because my thoughts become about me and my schedule instead of about the Lord and His will to whichever path He may want to take me. In our world and often in my own life, it seems as though we take a lot of pride in a busy schedule. When the Lord challenges us and asks us to take REST in Him.
It can be overwhelming, and it can be exhausting and so I find it so important to ask this question often. Am I allowing God to point me in the right direction?
Today, the enemy is winning in distractions through cellphones, social media, the news and so much more. It’s great for connections and you can learn a lot from google, but keep in mind that phones/internet really haven’t been around too long… engaging in conversations with a God who has been alive forever and who knit us together in our mother’s womb is incredibly entertaining. The word of God will fill you with so much wisdom and knowledge. 1 Peter 5:9 instructs us to, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” I find comfort in knowing that we are all in this together. As one body, in Christ Jesus, we battle together against the schemes of the enemy.
When overwhelmed, Jesus is by our side, instructing us to release it and to give it to Him. We find rest in His presence. He brings us peace that no sport, job, promotion, etc. will ever bring. As you walk through these next days, I encourage you to spend time with the Lord and seek the direction He wants you to go. I encourage you to seek Psalm 142:3 and ask the Lord which direction He is leading you down for the next 7 days. Not for next month, next year, or 5 years from now… but just for that day. Seek His word and voice… He knows your steps, allow Him to direct your path and see what adventure He might bring!