Discipleship Network Forum

Recently I was praying with a friend who was struggling to find God’s direction for his life. As we prayed, I vividly remembered the Bible’s account of how the magi temporarily lost sight of the star that had started them on their journey:

Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! (Matthew 2:9-10 MSG).

What an intriguing story. The magi had been so moved by their initial sighting of this star that they left everything and set off on a journey of hundreds of miles just to glimpse and worship the newborn King. But at first the star only guided them as far as Jerusalem, where the religious leaders and King Herod pointed them to Bethlehem as the likely place of the Messiah’s birth.

As these men set off for Bethlehem, something very exciting happened: “Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies.”

As this passage came to mind, I immediately recognized how it applied to my friend’s situation. Several years before, he had sensed clear direction from the Lord to proceed in a certain direction. Yet the cares and circumstances of life had hindered him—and now his original vision seemed like a dim memory.

Sensing the Holy Spirit speaking into his situation, I told my friend with great confidence, “The star of guidance is going to appear for you again!”

I also pointed out that, as with the magi, it would likely be the “same star” as he had seen before. To use a modern parallel, it’s as if his GPS had quit working for a time, but now it was about to resume charting the original direction.

Perhaps this is a word of encouragement for you as well. Is your spiritual GPS still functioning? As God did in the case of the magi, sometimes He sovereignly removes our external guidance for a time, causing us to seek Him once again. However, notice that the magi experienced great joy when they saw the star again—and so it will be with us.

As the magi discovered, incredible joy rises in our hearts when we realize we’re in “the right place” at “the right time.” And it’s important to see that the star didn’t just lead them in some random direction: “It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child.” That’s the ultimate purpose of all divine guidance, isn’t it? God wants to lead us closer to Jesus.

A personal note…

The same night as I prayed with my friend, my sleep was restless. Finally, at about 3:30 a.m., I gave up sleeping and started pondering how the story of the magi’s renewed guidance applied to my own life.

Like my friend, I’ve been sensing that the Lord wants to give me fresh vision and guidance. I’ve even been planning a sabbatical when I can get some needed rest and a new perspective.

But there at 3:30, tossing and turning on my bed, some things became very clear to me. Like the magi, I had sought direction from friends and “religious leaders,” when what I really needed was to see the star again.  

In mere moments, I began to receive some of the “fresh vision” I craved—and it turned out to be a return of some “old vision” I’d lost sight of and neglected.

Surprise, surprise, surprise. It turned out that I already had vision. As with the magi, when the “star” of guidance appeared to me in the middle of that restless night, it was the same star that had set me on my journey several years before.

I know I still have a long way to go. But I’m headed toward “Bethlehem” to see the King, and I’m pretty excited about it.

I pray you’ll take time to look again for the star that got you started. Although the night around you may be dark, that’s when stars shine the brightest.

When I was a kid, we didn’t have all the cool video games and technology of today. Some of my most memorable toys were marbles, magnifying glasses, and gyroscopes.

Recently when I was praying, God spoke a powerful message to me through two of my other childhood toys: a compass and a magnet.

First, I recalled the amazing attributes of a compass. When set on a level surface, the needle rather mysteriously points to “true north.” Somehow the compass detects and automatically points toward the invisible magnet field emitted by the North Pole.

But as I pondered this wondrous ability, the picture changed. I saw a compass surrounded by various magnets. The needle was spinning, no longer able to discern the correct direction of true north.  

Like this compass, I realized I was in danger of losing my sense of true north. When I gave my life to Jesus and His Spirit came into my heart, I was given an internal guidance system much like a compass. And whenever I look time to quiet my heart and rid myself of external distractions, my spirit automatically pointed toward the Lord and my true north calling.

However, life is full of external magnet fields. While the compass needle initially points northward, it can be swayed by relationships, addictions, materialism, stress, and busyness. Many of us end up trying to please people rather than God. Or our lives become consumed with the quest for a paycheck so we can pay our bills. Even the good things in our lives can emit magnetic fields that divert us from God’s highest will.

Let’s be honest: the North Pole is a lot farther away than the external magnets around us. Yes, the Lord is very near to us (and even in us), but the attraction from what we see, feel, touch, and taste can appear much stronger at times. And the voices of people often drown out the voice of the Lord.

So how can you regain your sense of true north if your compass needle is spinning out of control? What can you do when you detect confusion in your heart about God’s plan and purpose?

Periodically, you must leave behind all the external distractions and take a personal retreat. You need to make sure your internal compass needle isn’t being influenced by anything other than the Spirit of God.

When can you take time to do that?

I know, it’s difficult to find time to rediscover your true north. But what’s the alternative? Do you want to continue living a life that lacks direction, impact, and satisfaction?

One of the great benefits of finding true north is that the other directions become clear as well. Once you know which way is north, it’s easy to find east, south, and west. Your relationships and priorities are much easier to sort out once you’ve established which way you’re headed.

When you rediscover your true north, you’ll no longer drift through life like a sleepwalker. No longer confused or purposeless, you’ll gain new appreciation for Solomon’s advice about finding divine direction:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB).

Straight paths are only possible if you’re clear about where you’re going. And your internal GPS will only function properly if you’ve first established which way north is.

Few things are as frustrating as hitting a dead end on some endeavor. This is especially true when you are well-intentioned and desirous of God’s will.

Yet this happens all the time. I don’t want to break your idealistic Christian bubble, but dead ends are sometimes part of God’s plan. Among other benefits, they teach us a lot about our character, as we either keep trusting the Lord or try to take matters into our own hands.

Abraham and Sarah hit a dead end in having a baby, and they ended up devising an ill-fated plan of their own (Genesis 16).

Samuel hit a dead end when trying to figure out which of Jesse’s sons should be the next king, but fortunately he waited long enough to discover David, the youngest of the sons (1 Samuel 16).

But I’m particularly struck by what happened when the apostle Paul hit a dead end during his quest to take the gospel to unreached areas.

When they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them (Acts 16:6-10).

I don’t want you to miss how wild this brief story is. First of all, notice that the Holy Spirit forbade them to preach the gospel in Asia! The same Holy Spirit who energizes us to be Jesus’ witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8) sometimes blocks our pathway in doing so. Why? Surely the people in Asia needed to hear about Jesus.

But sometimes God brings a dead end to our plans because there’s a better option.

Paul and his team proceeded to Plan B: preaching in Bithynia. However, the Spirit did not permit that well-meaning venture either.

“What’s going on here?!” Paul must have wondered. “I’m just trying to be faithful in fulfilling the Great Commission, but God keeps blocking my path.”

Exasperated, Paul didn’t seem to immediately have any Plan C in mind. So he went to sleep—a picture of entering into God’s rest. (Side note: When the Lord wants to do something really GREAT in our lives, He sometimes puts us to sleep so we won’t get in the way. See Genesis 2:18-23, Genesis 15:12-21.)

Plan C thankfully came to Paul from that place of rest and trust. He saw a vision of a man in Macedonia, pleading for him to come and share the gospel. Instead of just coming up with his own plans, this time Paul concluded that “the Lord had called us.”

You see, Plan A and Plan B could have been considered GOOD things, but Plan C was a GOD thing. There’s quite a difference!

Acts 16 goes on to describe how a powerful church was planted in Philippi when Paul followed God’s leading to enter Macedonia. I’m sure his initial frustration in hitting dead ends was replaced by great thankfulness when He saw the Lord’s amazing purposes unfold.

God’s plans are good plans, my friend. But sometimes you have to wait for Plan C.

Be patient. Keep praying. Keep listening. And you may also want to take a good nap.

“Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.” (Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895)

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to three neuroscientists whose work is answering the question why we know where we are and where we’re headed.

John O’Keefe (University College, London), May-Britt Moser (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), and Edward Moser (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) have discovered cells that form a positioning system in the human brain, kind of a hard-wired GPS. These cells tell us our physical location, help us navigate our direction, and help us remember it so we can make the same trips again. These neuroscientists have figured out that two types of cells – called place cells and grid cells -- work in harmony to make the brain know where it is and where it’s going.

Memory and orientation are critically important for both our physical and spiritual well-being. If we couldn’t remember pleasant places we’ve been, how could we repeat the journey? If we can’t remember mistakes we’ve made, how can we learn from history? If we aren’t aware of our coordinates, how can we find our way home?

In one sense, “we make the road by walking” (Spanish poet Antonio Machado, 1875-1939). In a higher sense, we find the right road by praying.

With our brain, we find our bearings. With our heart, we find our beliefs.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5,6 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/