Recalculating…
By Jeannine Sawall
“In his heart a man
plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”
Proverbs 16:9
My
family and I recently returned from a road trip. We traveled over 3200 miles
and depended heavily on our GPS to get us where we were going. Unfortunately,
more than once, we didn’t see the turn in time, we ended up in the wrong lane,
or we somehow managed to go the wrong way. I can’t tell you how many times we
heard the GPS voice say, “Recalculating…” Sometime,s it was a beautiful little
side trip with a pretty vista we might have missed, but as the hours and miles
added up, every little recalculation became an annoyance!
Oftentimes
in our spiritual journey, we do the same thing. We may be walking along,
seemingly on the right path, heading in the direction the Lord would want us to
go when suddenly, something comes into our view that takes our eyes off of
where the Lord has us headed. Or maybe we could see where the path was going,
but decided that direction wasn’t necessarily where we wanted to go. In both
cases, we are no longer headed where the Lord would have us go, but rather on
some path of our own choosing. While the detour might seem delightful for a
short time, eventually it becomes frustrating, taking more time and energy than
we ever planned. Fortunately for us, when we respond to the Lord’s prompting,
He doesn’t let us wander too far or leave us to find our own way back alone.
The Holy Spirit does a little “recalculating” and brings us back to the path we
should have followed in the first place.
There
are many choices we can make as Christians: Some will always lead us to the
Cross and others will take us on a path that may have a few more twists and
turns than we were counting on. While there may be paths we regret we’ve taken,
the Lord will use that detour to His glory if we allow Him. He never leaves His
children stranded, lost or alone. Our lives might require a little
recalculation now and again, but if we depend on the Lord and seek His face, He
will make His path known to us.
GOING DEEPER:
1.
Whose path are you walking on now: One of your own making, or the one the Lord
has for you?
2.
How have you responded when the Lord has asked you to “recalculate” your
direction?
FURTHER READING:
Jeannine
is a wife and mother of four active boys. She works in property management and
is a part of the Special Events team for Oakwood’s We Women ministries.
