When In Doubt, Ask For Directions

I've recently been experiencing a lot of uncertainty and turmoil in a specific area of my life and I've been asking God for some clarity & direction. I wholeheartedly believe He has answered my prayers during my time with Him the past two mornings. However, I've found that He's not giving me the whole map but rather what I need to know for today. That's not a new concept to me... He generally only gives us enough light to see the next step so that we'll keep walking with Him instead of taking off on our own. But as He does so often, He's taken an old concept and breathed new life into it for the here & now.

I thought I'd share some of the words He's used to direct me over the past couple of days. Perhaps they just might shed a little light on someone else's path, too.

And since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned... 
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved." Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it fall away...
The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim away and escape; but the centurion, wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from their intention, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest should follow, some on planks, and others on various things from the ship. And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land.
Acts 27:20, 31-32, 42-44

 Direction #1: Stay with the ship.

"Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:34

"It is the unwritten chapter of our lives which distresses most of us. Jesus gives us the key:  let tomorrow take care of itself; live today to the full... [W]hat we do today will be inseparably related to what can happen tomorrow. We can have something to say about what will happen by how we handle what's happening. Jesus' advice is that there is sufficient opportunity today to see His power at work over evil. Concentrate on that, and tomorrow will be a succeeding opportunity...

"Most of us get so tomorrow-oriented that we do not enjoy the present moment. We are preoccupied by what is coming, and we fail to experience what is. We press on in preparation as if some new plan, relationship, or opportunity will make everything different. We endure what is now upon us with the hope that things will be different. It is good to plan but not to the point that we miss what God is saying in the difficult or unpleasant thing we may now be living through. The seeds of tomorrow's harvest are today. How we cultivate them will determine what we reap."
-Lloyd John Ogilvie

Direction #2:  Do not worry about tomorrow. Live today to the full.
 

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear... We love, because He first loved us.
1 John 4:18a, 19

1. God is perfect love. 1 John 4:18
2. Nothing can separate me from God's perfect love. Romans 8:38-39
3. God pours His perfect love into my imperfect heart. Romans 5:5
4. Accessed, I can love anyone through anything. Philippians 4:13
(from Beth Moore's "Loving Well" conference)

Direction #3:  Allow My love to fill you up and be poured out through you regardless of the circumstances.

On my way to work I passed a truck whose license plate read LIV4TDY. I don't think that was a coincidence. I am listening, Lord, and I choose to press on, to avoid worrying about the future, to live fully for this day, and to LOVE unconditionally. Help me to walk in the way You've directed.

The impossible is possible
But your fear is so responsible
For keeping you down
Keeping you down

Your unreachable is reachable
But you'll never grab
The wonderful
with your feet on the ground
Your feet on the ground

If you fall on your face
Don't just leave it to fate
No such thing as too late
It's not too late...

You only fail
If you never try
You'll never live
Tryin' not to die
I'm telling you now, I'm telling you now

Don't ever stop,
Give all you've got
Don't hesitate, to take a shot
It all comes around, it all comes around...

There's so much, so much left to gain
There's so much, so much to lose
You'll never know until know until you make a move...

-The Afters