Friday, October 25
Day 12
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. – John 16:13
God Guides
I don’t know if you have tried to navigate a road trip in the last decade without the assistance of GPS, but I can all but guarantee that at some point you didn’t agree with the GPS directions. Blame it on Apple, blame it on Google, or blame it on the built-in compass of your spouse—there has to be a better way than what you are being told! My first experience with a navigation mishap happened my freshman year of college. My seven buddies and I jumped into a van with nothing but a fold-out map and a printed copy of MapQuest directions (oh yeah, shoutout to MapQuest, the OG GPS). What the map and printed-out instructions didn’t account for were road closures and detours. Suddenly, I had seven different people shouting directions and opinions on the best way to get down to Florida the fastest. And I had no clue who to listen to except for the loudest voice in the vehicle.
Unfortunately, our walk with God can run into the same mishap if we’re not careful. It is easy to fill our ears and minds with “loud voices” (even our own) that try to guide and lead us. But scripture often points to God speaking through silence. In 1 Kings 19, we read of God speaking to Elijah—not in the midst of earthquakes or flashes of fire—but in sheer silence. In Mark 1:35, we read of Jesus retreating to isolation and silence to hear from God. In Psalms 62:1, David writes that he “waits quietly before God…”
Stop reading for 60 seconds. Close your eyes. And just sit in silence…
(No, seriously. Don’t read any further until you’ve sat in complete silence for a minute straight.)
How difficult was that exercise?! Be honest. Silence is not easy.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” – John 16:13
Friends—it is going to be extremely difficult to allow God to “guide us into truth” if we are allowing the loudness of this world to infiltrate our minds and lives. The devices that we hold in our hands and carry in our pockets all day gives us a false sense of control. We are constantly pinged with information and communication. Many of us feel lost without our phones!
Today, sit in silence for a little while. Turn on “do not disturb”. Allow your mind to wonder about God and listen for his guidance. He promises it! We just need to tune out the seven loud buddies shouting at us from the back seat.
Where God guides, He provides.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I pray that you would guide me in all that I say and do today. May your Holy Spirit speak to my soul and tune out what is not from You. Help me to seek you in the silence. And may you have complete control of my life. Guide me, oh God. Help me to know what is true. May it be so today. Amen.
Pray For Our Church: Take some time to pray for Pathway today—the people who make up our church, the staff, the ministries, etc. Ask God to work in and through us.
Pray For Our City: Pray for the people of our community and ask God to be at work in our hometown.
Pray For Our Nation: Pray for our nation—its people and its leaders. Boldly and specifically make your requests, then submit those desires to God’s will. Express your trust in Him.
Reflect:
- How have you seen God’s faithfulness and his promises lived out today?
- Write 2-3 points of gratitude and thank Jesus for these things.
- Spend time praising God for who he is, what he has done, where he is at work, and what he has promised.
By Travis Geisel
Travis and Lindsay have called Pathway home since 2013 and find great joy in parenting their children (Benaiah, Ezekiel, Morley, and Mabel) and spending time together at the baseball field. Travis serves as the NextGen Ministries Coordinator for The Central Region of The Missionary Church.