Right Street, Wrong House
There are moments in life where you can be close to where God calls you and still miss out on what he has for you.
Years ago, someone on our team got an invitation to a birthday party. When the day arrived, he typed in the address to GPS and arrived at the location. When he got to the house, he walked in and greeted a couple of people. Then he served himself some appetizers and got himself a drink. When he stepped to the backyard where the party was happening, he didn’t see the family that invited him. In fact, he didn’t recognize anyone.
Puzzled, he walked back out to the car to check the invitation, and though he was on the right street, he suddenly realized that he was at the wrong house.
Embarrassed, he walked three doors down and made it to party.
When asked about how he arrived at the wrong house, he said, “I saw the balloons on the mailbox and thought I was at the right place.”
We live in a culture that says, "Follow your own truth; follow your own understanding." The problem is: Our hearts are decietful above all else. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
Don't trust your feelings or your own understanding: trust God's truth.
God knows the way because He's the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).
When we apply the wisdom of God's word found in Proverbs 3:5-6, God will pave the way in front of us.
Don't trust the Lord's GPS "to a point," and then, in arrogance, pride, or presumption just give up on His navigation, leaning on your own sense of direction.
Here's my challenge: Follow God's directions all the way, because God's divine direction will get you to God's destiny.
Trust he knows how to lead you.
Setting Your Mark
On a farm, everyone has to pitch in to make things work. Once a lady who was inexperienced at driving a tractor was asked by her husband to drive a tractor across a field pulling a disc. Not sure how to do the job her husband instructed her to pick out an object at the end of the field and drive toward it, that way her path would remain straight.
So she put the tractor in gear and off she went toward the other end of the field. It wasn't long before she noticed her husband running alongside the tractor trying to get her attention. She stopped and asked, "What's wrong?"
Upon looking at him she noticed that her path was rather crooked as opposed to the straight line she needed to drive. Her husband again explained she needed to pick out an object and drive toward it. She said, "I did."
"What are you driving toward?" he asked. She pointed to the object down at the end of the row, which at that point she realized was a bird which had been hopping across the ground.
We have to be careful when we set our mark that we set it on something or someone that is sure and stationary.
The mark set by the world is ever-shifting, but the truths found in Christ are sure and stationary. To keep your life heading in the right direction, make sure you set your mark on Jesus.
"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).
"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1, NKJV)
Forget What's Behind
As I sat on my assigned snowmobile listening to the instructor's briefing, I noticed that something was missing. My machine didn't have a rearview mirror. As I looked around at the other students, I didn't see one on any of their machines, either. In fact, the only snowmobile equipped with side rearview mirrors was the instructors. When I asked the instructor the reason for this, he explained that the outfitter didn't want us to be distracted by what was behind us, but to keep our eyes on the leader.
Don’t allow what has happened in your past to distract you from following your leader, Jesus.
"...I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us" (Philippians 3:13-14).