Without A Paddle

We've all, no doubt, heard the old expression, "Up a creek without a paddle."

If you're a kayaker, half-way down a remote stretch of class IV white water, and you lose your paddle, you are in a very tough predicament indeed. You absolutely have to have your paddle to navigate the turns, obstacles and dangers that lie ahead.

Not a good predicament to be in, to say the least.

Same goes for a pilot trying to fly in the pitch black of night.  If you lose your navigation system, you're toast.

Life is like that.

Without a trust-worthy navigation system, we're absolutely un-equipped to navigate the obstacles and dangers of this life.

For those who trust wholly in themselves to navigate life in this difficult world, I think an honest observation of history, and the current state of this extremely messed up planet, clearly illustrate that this hasn't worked out so well.

However, for those of us who place all of our trust in the Lord—we have a 100% trust-worthy G.P.S.

We have an implanted God-Positioning-System. 

He is the Holy Spirit.

And we cannot hope to navigate the obstacles, pitfalls and dangers of this life without Him.

But if we are to find our way, we first have to be plugged-in to our GPS. Your life will never work if you disconnect from your GPS and try to go it alone. 

Without a continous connection to your GPS—you're toast.

How does our GPS work?

A man named Elijah discovered his GPS about three thousand years ago:

"Then God said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;  and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  (1 Kings 19:11-13)

Elijah was a man who was said to be just like us.  When he should of been obeying God, doing what He told him to do, instead, he was hiding in a cave, afraid of a woman named Jezebel, who threatened to take his life.

And just like us, Elijah clearly couldn't make it on his own, and he needed a trust-worthy navigation system to guide him, and help him navigate the pitfalls and dangers of life.

Elijah's GPS was exactly the same navigation system as ours—the indwelling, still small voice of the Holy Spirit.

And the still small voice of the Holy Spirit is always, absolutely 100% trust-worthy.

You can't navigate the twists and turns of your life without being led by the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.  You'll walk into a pit, or drive off a cliff if you are trying to go it alone, and lean to your own understanding.

Guys, if you are trying to "Lone Ranger" it...you are truly up a creek without a paddle.

Plug into your God Positioning System.

He will never leave you or forsake you. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond that which you are able to bear, and with the temptation, He will always show you the way out.  He will supply all of your need according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus. And even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you need not fear any evil for He is with you, and He will comfort you.  He is your strength, and your refuge in times of trouble.  He knows how to deliver you from tribulation.  He holds all things together by the Word of His Power.  He has set His eternal seal upon you, and He has set you in His family forever.

The only question that remains is—are you plugged in?   Are you listening for His still small voice.

You have to be quiet, yielded and still to hear Him.  He speaks in a gentle whisper.

If you're like me, far too often you look for His leading and direction to come in a totally obvious and dramatic way. I want His direction for me to be loud and clear, like fire, wind, or an earthquake.

But as Elijah experienced, God is not in the explosive wind, fire or earthquake.

God doesn't part the clouds and speak to us audibly, telling us to go to a specific place at 2:45 PM, and talk to Mr. so-and-so. He doesn't write on our wall literally, and spell it all out for us categorically.

No, He dwells in our inner-most heart, and He speaks to us ever-so-softly—in a very gentle whisper.

We will never be able to hear His still small voice if we are constantly allowing ourselves to be distracted by ringing cell phones, blaring TV's, our own selfish agendas, or by other peoples well-intended, but misguided expectations of us.

This is why spending lots of alone time with God—quiet time—in the secret place—is so vitally important to hearing His still small voice. 

Quiet time, where we don't spend ten minutes reading off our shopping list of instructions to God as if He is some sort of divine mall Santa Claus.  

Time to be still, and know that He is God. 

Time to sit patiently and allow Him to speak to our hearts in His gentle whisper. 

It's similar to being in sales.  If you are not attentively listening at least seventy percent of the time—you are talking way too much.

Learn to be still. 

Learn to listen.

There are so many other voices out there.   Voices that we constantly need to be on guard against. Voices of the Enemy that speak things to us that are, on the surface, very enticing, but equally deadly.  Voices that, while well intended, are actually misguided and are not speaking God's will for us.  Voices that subtly call us away from time with our Lord in the secret place.  Voices that are actually our own flesh, wanting us to do what feels good to us, while ignoring the greater call of what God would have us do in that moment.

Learn to identify all of those other voices and then tune them out.  Testing all of those voices by the Scriptures in the Bible is the best way to identify the source of the voices.  You have to know the source. 

You have to know Your Source. He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Listen only for, and to, the still small voice of your Savior.

And then follow Him...

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.