Directionally Challenged

“Your ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.”

Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)

I’ve been blessed by people in my life that are “directionally challenged.” The giving or receiving of directions can be very complicated and entertaining. My oldest daughter, Jessica, has no sense of direction when she drives. The directions of north, south, east, or west don’t really mean much. Additionally, telling her to turn left or right on particular streets results in an amusing moment – she lets go of the steering wheel and looks to see which hand is left and right. Then, after a few moments of pondering, she usually makes the appropriate turn. My father-in-law used to give directions like, “When you get to the corner where old Jim’s barn used to be, turn right.” I never knew Jim, nor did I know he even had a barn.

Of course, I’ve had my fair share of directionally challenging moments. I once headed down a one-way street in downtown Seattle, passing many confused motorists who were going the correct direction. Oh, and I had a van full of kids from my youth group with me.

In life, we can definitely get ourselves turned around, twisted up, turned upside down, and heading in the wrong direction. This is in a literal sense (we actually get ourselves lost) and in a spiritual sense. Literally getting lost is a bit stressful. Spiritually getting lost can cause a lot of damage, and even lead to spiritual death.

If we can’t navigate the streets of America, with our Google maps, voice activated directions, and satellite technology, how can we navigate a spiritual world that we can’t fully understand? It’s quite simple. Tap into the One who does.

I can’t imagine navigating through a new city without good directions or some turn-by-turn encouragement from my phone or GPS. In our spiritual lives, it should be no different. God gives us tools to do just that. He gives us the Scriptures, which are a road map of who God is, and how we should live. Additionally, we have the Holy Spirit, which is that small voice in our heads. It’s the Holy Spirit that the prophet Isaiah wrote about in our verse today.

Today, and every day, study the roadmap of the Scriptures, pray for God’s direction in life, and listen for His voice for your turn-by-turn directions to navigate through your day.