My memory goes to a time when I had to travel to a very new to me area of the city. We live in the suburbs and quite frankly, the city is not a place I go by choice. My husband set my navigation system for me and off I went, hoping to make it there and back with no detours, aka ”“ without getting lost.
All was going well, until in a panic, I got off the wrong exit. Quickly I called my husband, who in his calm tone, said, “Do you see the blue line?” Looking quickly at my navigation map, I responded, “Yes.” “Stay on the blue line, stay on the line, follow the line.” He calmly kept talking to me until my navigation system resumed talking.
And with her voice being heard once again, I said to him, “OK, she’s talking. I think I will be good now.”
Sometimes a new year does not unfold in the way we hope. The journey may take us on twists and turns unknown and dark. A fog can settle in over our minds causing us to feel unsure of what to do or where to go. Decisions can be weighty, and often more than we can bear.
This year – 2020 – was certainly one we could not have anticipated. It has brought, and continues to bring, changes beyond the imaginable.
What are we to do during these times?
“Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is they way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21, NLT)
God will always be with us in times of adversity, showing us that He is with us in all things. As our hearts stay in tune with Him through prayer and the reading of His Word, we become familiar with His voice.
“My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27, NLT)
We can come to know His voice and be familiar with the nudge of His hand. Sometimes we can know these verses by heart, having memorized them. But it is critical that we also come to know them by heart experience, experiencing them to be true and powerful.
Much the way the voice of my husband and my GPS calmed my heart and brought peace to my anxious mind, the voice of our Lord will calm all our fears, keep us on the right path, and direct our minds.
Life is a journey and may we remember it is never a journey we make alone. Whether the days are difficult or mundane, God is with us every moment.
God is present and active in every moment of our lives.
May we listen for His voice in our ears.
*This is an edited version of a post first appearing in Woman to Woman Ministries in 2019.
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash
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Joanne, I love this post. There have definitely been those times this year when I began to panic because of all the uncertainty. I love how your husband talked you through until the GPS voice began giving directions again. There’s nothing quite so scary as being lost in an unfamiliar place and having no idea how to get out.
I guess it’s in these seasons when our faith is tried and given opportunities to deepen. Beautiful words today, friend.
Yes, my husband’s voice can talk me through a rough patch. And here’s the thing your comment reminded me of … our heavenly Father will talk us through every uncertainty, every pain, and every unknown territory.
Nothing like a familiar voice to steady our nerves – and keep us on the right path. I pray that my first reaction is to listen for His voice…although, I confess, that is not always the case. I like that picture…”just follow the blue line”! As in, don’t try to figure it out on your own!
I can so identify with this. I am awful with directions, so GPS was a Godsend to me. But when ti suddenly stops working at a critical moment–Argh! Thankfully no technological malfunction will come between us and God.