Making Course Corrections

Learning to fly was an amazing experience and flying solo was the part that sure got my blood pumping. When flying alone, there is no one else to depend upon except yourself. It was empowering, but it was also one of the most terrifying things I ever did. I made that first solo flight just fine, but then came the time, still as a student pilot but with the required skills, to make a cross-country solo flight (within 25-miles away). I learned early on about course corrections. I had put in an initial heading, but when I had flown the 25-miles, I didn’t see my destination airport in sight. I assure you that my heart was palpitating a mile a minute. I hadn’t anticipated the strong winds that pushed me off course. The scripture “Lo, I am with you always….” (Matthew 28:20) came to me and it offered me no solace because I was flying at about 3,000 feet up in the air. “Help, Lord, please be HIGH with me always!”

Logic said the airport is right in front of me, but I had not played close enough attention to making course corrections along the way. Wind changes in directions and intensity changed my course, but fortunately, only a few degrees. I wasn’t that far off course because, eventually, the airport I was to land at, was in sight. If it had been a longer and further flight, a few degrees could have put me in Timbuktu!

This scenario applies to our lives as well. Proverbs 16:9 says, "A man's heart devises his way, but the Lord directs his steps." In other words, we make plans, but the Lord makes course corrections along the way. Sometimes, we aren’t so thrilled with those course corrections. When Jesus left this Earth, our Father gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us make right decisions. He guides us in right living and right thinking.

Our heavenly Father wants us to succeed. He wants us to live in joy and in peace. He desires for our path to be straight. He wants us to reach our destination. The Holy Spirit is the One who continuously guides us. He softly whispers, "Turn this way. Go that way." He helps us make course corrections.

As we start out on our “solo” ride each day, it’s important that we pay close attention to our journey. The enemy of our souls wants to take us off course. He uses the slyest tactics to maneuver us in the wrong direction. But when we “eagle eye” and listen for the promptings of the Holy Spirit Who cautions us that we’re getting off course, He will help us make the course corrections to get us back on track. Simple course corrections now instead of waiting until our lives are in a mess and things are out of control will certainly save us time AND distance. Quite often a very small course correction will avert and prevent a tragedy.

God is for us. He lovingly desires to help us adjust our direction and get us back on course. May our sensitivity to His leading be fine-tuned so that we stay on the right path. Maybe you haven't been "flying" in a straight line and you can't even see to tomorrow. Stop and listen for His voice. He is speaking. Heed His course corrections and you will reach your destination on time, every time!

God’s Road Map -- the Surest Way to Stay on Course

Road Map – a map, a plan or strategy intended to reach and achieve a particular goal...........A couple of weeks ago I was asked to share my favorite daily devotion with a group of new Christians. It was easy for me to share, because this “book” has been my daily "road map" all my life.

We don’t use road maps too much these days with the advent of technology and GPS systems, but I remember, even as a child, loving to hold one of those paper maps and with my finger follow along the roads that my daddy was driving to West Virginia to visit my oldest sister and her family. Then I was promoted to being the navigator, using the Atlas Map Books, as my husband & I and our ministry team traveled the U.S. and Canada in our 28 ft Winnebago. But, my navigating skills were tested to the core as we flew in our Cessna 182, as my husband’s Co-Pilot and Navigator. Flying took mapping to a whole new level as we had all kinds of other considerations besides roads. We had to consider the weather, coordinates, the wind velocity, and we used ground landmarks, shorelines, rivers, mountains, things other than just roads to consider. Of course, today, GPS systems for flying and driving changed just about everything.

If only we would be as attentive to the “road map” that God gave us for our lives. That road map is found in God’s Word, the Bible. The Bible is not just some musty old book that we can just ignore because it was written ages ago. It is the Word of God, written down by those individuals who were inspired by Him. The texts are about us and our lives, even though they are thousands of years old. Every time that we read or hear scriptures from the Bible, God speaks to us and touches us in a new way. Of course, the Bible’s most important message is God’s love for every person, including you and me.

I told the group that I’ve used the Bible as my “end all” in all the ups and downs of my life and it has never failed me. When I had been in fear – I would turn to the concordance in the back of my Bible and look up scriptures on courage; when I was sad – I would look up scriptures on joy; when I was sick, I would look up scriptures on healing. God was speaking directly to me as I read those words that were His PROMISES to us.

Now, what’s so easy and simple for us to do in this information age – no matter whether we’re carrying around a hard copy of our Bible or not, we can google scriptures on our laptops or phones: scriptures on love; scriptures on healing; scriptures on joy – and a host of scriptures will pop up.

If I had the cure for stress and worry; for sadness and pain and kept it to myself, what kind of friend would I be? I do have the cure – it’s found in our Road Map for Success in Life…..and it’s called “The Bible” – God’s Word. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've read a scripture and my perspective completely changed and the navigation I needed to go from Point A to Point B in decision making was given to me. Like a good road map, God's Word points us to the best roads and places of insight and illumination so that God's Spirit can shine His Light into our minds and hearts. And that "road map" NEVER needs updating. The roads, the destinations, the promises and the treasures are as sure today as at the time they were written when He illuminated them to His transcribers.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…”