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Posts Tagged ‘direction’

Compass-ion

Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on October 10, 2017| 1 Comment »

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Psalm 25:4
I have a horrible sense of direction. No internal compass. As a child I was told my eyes faced north, the back of my head faced south, my left hand pointed west, and my right hand east. But no one explained they had purposely positioned me so this would be true. Later I learned to look for the sun. That gave me an idea where westward sort of was, so I had some sense of direction.
Today, we seem to no longer have a moral compass in our society. We have laws, but the goal now seems to be who has the smartest lawyer who can find a way for the law not to apply to their situation. Children are taught over-tolerance in school, to the point that all behavior is okay and acceptable.

When the Hebrew nation left Egypt, they had a physical guide–God’s compass-ion. Because He cared for them, He guided them safely in the way they needed to journey.

“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.Nehemiah 9:19
In our life journey, the Bible is our best compass. When we look to the Son, Jesus, as our example, we get our moral and spiritual bearings. He shows us which way we should go. He is the Way (John 14:6). Because of His compass-ion, once we accept him as our Savior, He embeds an internal compass in our souls called The Holy Spirit to be our guide.
I may not know north from south at times, but I know Who to look for to point the way, be it a decision I need to make, a direction my life needs to go, or whether I should just stand, be still and wait. I look for the Son.
If you are feeling a bit lost today, seek the Compass-ion of God. Let Him direct your path. He won’t steer you wrong.

The internet is the new mission field. At Campus Crusades of Canada’s The Life Project, our free articles and devotionals glean a readership of 500,000 plus a month.  But as with any missionary organization, we are funded solely through the donations of ministry partners. Find out more about my work as a writer and editor at  http://www.juliebcosgrove.com/missionary_support.html

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Meandering

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on October 3, 2017| Leave a Comment »

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8
In school I was taught the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. In the school of faith, I have learned God doesn’t always take the shortest route. More often than not He meanders.
A sprinkler began to leak at my apartment complex. The parking lot is sloped on purpose so the runoff will head for the creek beyond the trees. Easiest way for the water to flow? Diagonal straight line. Or so I’d think.
But it doesn’t. It makes weird twists and turns through the asphalt and concrete, being thwarted and changing directions by things I cannot see, or do not notice. It flows one way, then another, then another. Slowly…eventually, it will get to where it is supposed to be headed.
I stared at the trailing stream of water and saw my life. Very few times have things turned out as I planned. A circumstance suddenly altered my path. Something I couldn’t see. It led me a new direction for a while. At times I felt off track, and yet, from a bird’s eye view,  I was headed  the way I was supposed to go after all.
Once again I found a tangible way to remember to have faith. God is directing my path, when I let Him. Some obstacles are my doing, many are for His purpose. His ways are not mine. But eventually, I will get to where I need to go. There are lessons to learn along the way as I meander through His merciful and grace-filled landscape called life.
Lord, keep me flowing in the way You have designed. You are the source-spring of Living Water that flows through me and directs me in the way I need to go. Amen.

The internet is the new mission field. At Campus Crusades of Canada’s The Life Project, our free articles and devotionals glean a readership of 500,000 plus a month.  But as with any missionary organization, we are funded solely through the donations of ministry partners. Find out more about my work as a writer and editor at  http://www.juliebcosgrove.com/missionary_support.html

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I’m glad YOU know where you’re going

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on September 19, 2017| 1 Comment »

The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

Today a memory floated to the forefront of my mind. We’d moved to another metropolis.  After a while my mother came to visit. The second day, as I drove her around, she gazed out her passenger window and sucked in a shaky sigh. “I’m sure glad you know where you’ re going because I haven’t a clue.”

I bit my tongue, but in my mind I thought, “What a silly thing to say. Of course you don’t. You have never been here before.”

But now, years later, I understand her angst. She had grown up and lived (and later died) in one city all her life. She knew the streets, the neighborhoods, and the detours. It was her comfort zone.  Riding around with me in a new town, she was way far out of it.

Why did this surface in my brain today? Because right now I relate to my mom. I have whispered in prayer the very same thing to God. I have no idea where I am headed. Nothing seems familiar on this road…except the other person riding with me.

But instead of saying, “Silly woman. Of course you don’t. You have never been this way before,” God gently reminds me, “Yes, but I do. Trust me one more time. I’m right here with you every step of the way.”

I can feel Him pat my shoulder and almost see Him wink. “And by the way, I’m driving so sit back and relax.”

I suck in a shaky sigh….

 

 

The internet is the new mission field. At Campus Crusades of Canada’s The Life Project, our free articles and devotionals glean a readership of 500,000 plus a month.  But as with any missionary organization, we are funded solely through the donations of ministry partners. Find out more about my work as a writer and editor at  http://www.juliebcosgrove.com/missionary_support.html

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Onward Through the Fog…

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on March 11, 2015| 3 Comments »

I awoke to a warning beep on my cell phone. Dense Fog Advisory.  So, naturally when I hopped in my car to head for work I sent up a prayer for me to arrive safely, and also for any of my friends out on the roads. Even still, my hands gripped the wheel a bit more firmly. I couldn’t see more than two cars ahead of me, and my breath began to quicken as the muscles in my shoulders tightened.

 

Then a small voice told me, “That’s all you need to see. Trust me for the rest.”

As I drove, cars slowly came into view as well as directional signs- speed, curve, stop.  All along the way, I still received guidance. Is this not an example of our life? Truth be told, I had plenty of visibility. In fact, when I played back the video on my cell phone I thought. “Wow, It’s not as foggy as I thought!”

Doesn’t that describe our lives? God sees all, yet we only see now, and a bit of the past fogged by our memories  in our rear view mirror. I think at times He envelops us in uncertainty so we can learn to slow down, trust and only see what He needs us to see at that given moment. Otherwise we may become distracted, or too overconfident of our own abilities.

Who will you trust to navigate you through the fog today?

 

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