Following the Signals...

Green. Yellow. Red.

These three colors are synonymous with: go - caution - STOP. They are used in traffic lights to keep order and to avoid accidents, pain and chaos. They are symbols for how much of the world thinks about everyday life – from driving a car to completing a project – but what about our spiritual life?

There is an old story of a man who is in the middle of a flood and he is sitting on top of his house convinced that God will save him. First a boat comes along and offers him a ride, but he says, “No God is going to save me – I will wait for God.” Next a helicopter comes and lowers a ladder, but he waves it off, saying, “Nope, I will wait for God to save me.” Finally, the river water runs so fast and so deep he is overtaken and he drowns. When he gets to heaven he asks God, “Why didn’t you save me?” God replies, “I sent a boat and a helicopter – why didn’t you get on board?”

How often do we miss the opportunities or the direction God is giving us? There are signs all around us – messages from God – which inspire us to make choices in our lives. The key to interpreting the signs is being aware that they exist.

Often, we walk around with our eyes focused solely on the expected outcome of a task or a desired end goal without seeing the possibilities around us and we miss the yellow caution sign from God to not go a certain way. Or maybe we miss the green – go this way – sign from God and miss out on an integral part of His plan for our life today – causing us to wait for a blessing. Or maybe we miss the big, red sign, urging us to stop before we head down a wrong path and we take a turn away from God down a dark alley.

God has His traffic lights posted all around us. We need to be active drivers – paying attention to all of the signals – to ensure that we are continuing on the path God has intended for us. Sometimes the green light will lead you through a difficult journey and sometimes the red light will cause you to wait in the same spot longer than you would like, but either way paying attention to the signals will translate into a life richly blessed by God.

Watch for the lights today. God has it all planned out – you just have to follow the signals.

Scripture

Nehemiah 9

Quote of the Day

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.
Mother Teresa

Question of the Day

When have you seen a clear sign from God?

DON'T FORGET - JOINT GUMY SESSION THIS WEEK - ALL GUMY'S @ THE CHURCH @ 5PM FOR MISSION POSSIBLE!!!

Running the Race...And Watching for Potholes

Where are you looking?

When you start out your day, are you focused on the next task or are you focused on the end of the day? Maybe you wake up focused on tomorrow....or Friday....or next year.

Where are you looking?

We can become so caught up in what comes next, what is two weeks or two years away that we miss out on what is right before us.

A few days ago, my sister was parking her car. She was so focused on the parking spot she wanted that she didn't see the sign posted directly in front of her and she ran into the post. Her car was dented and bruised and the sign post was twisted. She could see the perfect parking spot - but she missed the obstacles in her path.

When we focus solely on what will come, what will be, we run the risk of missing out on the day to day things of life. We become so caught up in achieving a goal like getting an A on a test or graduating high school or marrying the perfect person or buying a bigger house that we cannot see the pitfalls and obstacles which stand in our way; and which will likely stop us from achieving our goals.

Life is like a long distance race. We are on a path and each step moves us closer to the finish line, but we have to focus on each stride, each turn in the road because each step builds on the one before it. Each step is necessary for us to make it to the goal. If we focus only on the finish line, we might miss an important turn or step in a pothole and derail our entire race.

Instead our eyes, our focus, should be centered directly before us - on Jesus. If we keep our focus on Jesus, he will keep us safe on the path and help us to run at the best pace so that we finish our race in his time.

Where are you looking?

Scripture

Hebrews 12:1-3

Quote of the Day

What good is having someone who can walk on water if you don't follow in his footsteps? Unknown

Question of the Day

Have you ever run a race competitively? Tell us a little about the experience?