Getting lost is never fun. As a fisherman or hunter, being able to locate our exact position and areas where fish and wildlife frequent is a critical consideration. In the early 1990s, Hummingbird Corporation put out a portable depth-finder with Global Positioning System (GPS) that utilized commercial satellite receivers to help the sportsman precisely define their coordinates anywhere in the world. What an amazing tool!
Today, the market is saturated with all types of GPS units of various sizes, shapes, and prices. In fact, most of us probably have one in our phone and in our car. No more fumbling through the road atlas or fold-out maps! Built-in base-maps cover all major roads and cities and can guide us to any location. I like the advertisement one manufacture placed in the fishing catalogs, “The world is a big place, but finding yourself in a big world isn’t a problem anymore thanks to …GPS.”
Guidance for Our Spiritual Lives
We spend a great deal of time and resources trying to find our way in the world, but what are we using to guide our spiritual life? If God is not at the center of our internal guidance system, what has replaced that void? Many try to fill it with the pursuit of power, fame, or fortune. Others seek out New-Age philosophies or Eastern religions that promise peace and harmony but have no power to guide one through this life, much less to eternal life.
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, your internal guidance system is the Holy Spirit, who is always with you. On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter urged the assembled multitudes, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
The guidance of the Holy Spirit isn’t limited by low battery power, dead zones, or sunspots. He is with us 24/7 and always available. Yet many of us go through our daily life without even considering that He is with us and ready to guide us when we are lost, comfort us when we are lonely, teach us when things are confusing, direct us in the right path, and convict us when we sin. But… we must listen.
Jesus also said of the Holy Spirit, “He will testify about me.” (John 15:26) And, “He will glorify Me.” (John 16:14) My point is that the Holy Spirit wants to testify about Jesus and glorify Him through our lives. His purpose gives us purpose. Let’s not wander through this life confused, discouraged, and lost. Let’s stop and listen and depend on the teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit to show us the way. Often, God’s ways are not what we would choose, but they’re always what’s best for us!
Scripture Reading: John 14:15-18; 15:26-27; 16:12-15
Personal Application: Where do you need guidance in your life right now? Trust the Holy Spirit to lead you. Sometimes that involves waiting—even when we feel hard-pressed to decide. Just relax and trust Him to lead you.
Wendell Morton and Jim Grassi, D. Min.
We cherish any verse in Scripture that reminds us to keep focused and intentional about evangelism and discipleship. “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5