Saturday, May 26, 2012

Recalculating

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3


We bought a GPS for the first time about three years ago when we were headed down to the beach. It was a totally new thing for me. I was amazed that, not only would the GPS talk us through our journey, step-by-step, but we could actually choose which voice we wanted directing us. There were various male and female voices to choose from. Some with foreign accents, even. We tried a few of them out and unanimously settled on the soothing voice that we affectionately referred to as "Clara." We named her Clara because that's the name of the street we had to turn down to get to the beach house we'd rented for that week - Clara Avenue.

Clara was calm, cool, and collected. That was just her way. And she knew the routes we should take like the back of her virtual proverbial hand. Even when we made a wrong turn, she could tell us within seconds how far to go before the next turn to get us back on track. Before she would give us her new directions, she would calmly and assuredly announce that she was "recalulating" our route. No screaming, no freaking out, no name-calling. Just, "recalculating."

It's amazing how much trust we put in Clara. We'd never met her. We couldn't see her. We just had faith that her programmers knew what they were doing. We blindly followed her lead, no matter where she directed us to go. Sometimes, she would take us on routes that really didn't make any sense. Like taking us 60 miles out of the way or through a really, really bad neighborhood. That didn't happen often, but when it did, we'd just tough it out, having faith that Clara would eventually get us back on track.

Why is it so much easier for us to have faith in technology than to have faith in God? Why do we place more faith in the created rather than in the Creator?

We should trust God to guide us through life so much more than we trust the technology of a GPS to guide us from point A to point B. After all, God is more capable of handling the issues of our lives than we are. We just don't always give Him the opportunity.

Many times, I've made plans without praying them through only to find myself later asking God to help me out of the bad situation that I created for myself. He certainly is under no obligation to do so, but He is faithful, and He has helped me out more times than I care to admit. Oftentimes, He let me go through some pretty bad neighborhoods, but He stayed with me and, once I realized my need for Him, led me right back where I needed to be. I'm so thankful that He is patient with me.

I feel sure that, absent my self-made plans and hard-headedness along the way, I would have saved myself a lot of pain and heartache had I sought God's guidance in the beginning, before I embarked on my new plans. I would probably be a lot closer to the place where He wanted me to be to begin with.

All those little detours I've taken because I didn't consult with Him first cost me precious time. Time that could have been spent on bigger and better things. Things that God had planned for me to do all along. Things I just didn't bother to ask Him about.

But God is full of grace and mercy and He is fully capable of recalculating my route when I make a wrong turn. And sometimes, the place He takes me once I finally do trust in Him is far greater than anything I could have imagined. If I could just learn to trust in Him from the beginning, my life would be much more peaceful.

Peaceful. Just because I trust in Him. What an awesome promise that is.

Linking up with:

Beholding Glory

Blessings,


15 comments:

  1. what a great message and something that made me really think about. I do trust things more at times than Him...yet He's never let me down. Hope your weekend is awesome.

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  2. This is so true! When I trust His guidance, I'm at peace...when I trust my direction I get into trouble. His plans are so much better than mine. Thank you for sharing. I'm putting a link to your post on my Saturday morning post.

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  3. Thought-provoking post! It's amazing how many other things and people we tend to trust, rather that going to God in the first place.

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  4. Words of wisdom indeed! It's amazing how much smoother the road is when we trust in God to guide us. Why is it so hard to realize that?

    I also think your Clara needs to give my GPS a few pointers. We lovingly refer to her as the B&%#@ in the Box. (Visiting from SITs)

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  5. Hi Christa...So true. Sometimes we trust in technology more than in the Creator.

    Thanks so much for your visit to my beloved blog and for your comment, too. Stop by anytime. Happy Memorial Day. Susan

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  6. What a great contrast about how we put faith in the arm of man but not always in God. I think some of it is because Clara's voice is so clear and we sometimes doubt our ability to hear the voice of God clearly. It's not so much that we doubt Him as that we doubt ourselves. Isn't it sad that we have to learn over and over again that relying on Him will bring us peace and trying to do it without Him will lead to frustration and disappointment? And isn't it wonderful that no matter how many times we ignore Him, He is still there waiting with His hand out, reaching for us?

    This really was a beautiful post. I also love your header -- it's very peaceful, both the picture and the color choice.

    Stopping by from SITS. Have a great weekend.

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    1. Thank you so much for the encouraging comments! You're right on about clarity. It's harder to hear God's voice, and it's our nature these days to gravitate toward the easy, convenient stuff. Cutting corners never really pays off, in my opinion.
      Thanks, again!
      Christa

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  7. Visiting from SITS. I totally get your point and always knew there was a faith lesson in that GPS. The GPS has made traveling easier and less stressful....true of our life with God.

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  8. Wonderful post, Christa! Praise God that He is our GPS! It reminds me of a dream I wrote about where things turned out much better when He was driving!:
    http://savedbygracebiblestudy.blogspot.com/2012/04/whos-driving.html
    Love in Him,
    Laurie

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  9. Great post... Hearing God's voice is sometimes so much harder than hearing those around us. I love the "recalculating" comment! And the fact that He is faithful not to let us wallow in our bad decisions once we wisen up and seek His directions!!! Thank for the reminder... Popping over from SITS. Come see what we're up to at...
    www.MustardSeedsOK.blogspot.com

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  10. Sometimes I hear that "recalculating" voice in my head. LOL

    Great post and tie-in. God is definitely awesome and full of patience.

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  11. We still rely on maps and get teased all the time about it.
    Sometimes people get ridiculed about their faith too. Neither bother me though.

    God is Great!
    Leann

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  12. it always amazes me when I stop and take time with Him...peace overwhelms me.....great story

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  13. Hi Christa~~ I have nominated you with the Liebster Award. You do not have to participate if you do not want to, but I would enjoy reading your responses to the questions. To find the details, visit my blog to read about it

    God Bless You Christa

    Sincerely,
    Michele
    http://pearl131.blogspot.com/

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  14. Thanks for the post. I had been looking for something related and found your web site in the process.I will definitely be back for more.

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