Need Direction?

 

"Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.  He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." Psalm 25:8-9

 

Have you ever been desperate to hear from God?  Have you ever been frantic to know his direction?  I have been- and am currently- in that shape.  It is such an uncomfortable feeling when you feel the Lord realigning and adjusting the direction of your life, but you have no idea which way to go, or what He is up to.

 

I have heard it taught that when it is time for the baby eaglet to leave home, the parent eagles will begin to pluck the feathers out of the nest and make it uncomfortable for the little bird.  They might even allow some "pokey" sticks to be in it, to give the baby eagle the nudge that it needs to get out of the nest.  It is a very trying time when the Lord is ruffling up your nest!  It is a time of stretching, seeking and feeling, well... downright uncomfortable.

 

According to these verses, the Lord instructs the sinners, but he GUIDES the humble and teaches them his way.  I love that!  He offers instruction to those that do not follow him.  He loves them that much!  But to those of us who love him, He goes before us.  He guides and directs us.  The whole time, He is teaching us his ways.  That is such a beautiful picture of a personal God!  He does not send us where He will not go with us.  He will not send us  where he will not go before us, locating the dangers, scoping out the predators, finding the best path for us.  What a good God!

 

Can I be brutally honest?  Sometimes I get frustrated in the teaching phase.  I just want the Lord to zap me and put me where I am ultimately going.  I get weary of stretching, growing, and being disciplined and sharpened.  But the journey is an important part of reaching our destiny.  If we are zapped from here to there, we will find ourselves ill-equipped for our destination.  If we are transported directly from point A to point B,  we may have culture shock.  We often need a gradual "unveiling" of God's plan and purposes to keep us from being scared off from the final end.

 

When we travel for vacation, I usually dread the drive there.  But I especially dislike the ride home.  I often come home feeling sad because the trip is over and I am back to the stressors of working from home.  The Lord convicted me of that attitude showing me that if my husband (or family) and I had just one day to be together, take a drive, talk, see new sights and eat interesting places, I would consider it fun.  But instead of seeing the trip as part of the vacation, I have chosen to see it as an end mark.  What if we could find a way to enjoy the journey, start to finish?

 

Joyce Meyer has a book out called "Enjoying Where You Are on the Way to Where You are Going"  (or something quite similar).  That is so true in our walk with God.   We are usually in the phase of "becoming" rather than arriving.  We have to learn to enjoy that place, because it is where the crux of life is lived.   Today you may be asking the hard questions.  Today you may be overwhelmed, confused and afraid.  But you are still in a good place because you are with The One who loves you most of all.  Maybe you don't know where you will end up or how it will all work out, but you can still enjoy the ride!

 

Dear Lord, help me to trust you in the "guiding" and "teaching" times.  Help me to relax from self-care and trust my destiny into your hands.  Thank you that your plan for me is a good one and that you walk beside me each step of the way.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

Sherri