Is your life in the right direction?

or does it need to change direction, to be in the path foreordained by God?

Every one of us leads a life in this world as temporary residents. This life has a purpose that God has foreordained. It has a direction in which it should move. Sometimes people chose their own purpose and direction, that is contrary to the one that God has planned for them . Such people need a change in direction. Salvation by the Bood of Jesus is a major life turner.

 However, humans tend to love the status quo and not want change. Change is painful for some, hard for some and bitter for some others. When we resist the change, sometimes God must intervene with a life turning event to lead us in the path that eventually leads to Him.

Also, in the life of a child of God, after being saved and baptized by the Holy Spirit God allows some direction changes. These changes are for elevating the life or name of the child of God.

Beyond the above 2 direction changing events, there is a 3rd direction changing event, where God allows the person to make a decision to change direction.

Death – A direction changer

Abraham, was called by God. The Bible says in Genesis 12:1 'Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.' The previous chapter ends thus: 'So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.' (Genesis 11:32)

Joshua 24:2 tells us thus :'And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods. '

Terah was an idol worshipper and Abraham was his son. But God had called Abraham. But like many kids, he was not able to heed to God’s call, because he seem to be reluctant in leaving his father. So Terah had to die, and so he did. Then we see in Genesis 12:4 'So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. '.

Death of his father, changed the direction of Abraham’s life towards the Holy God.

Disaster – A direction changer

Paul – the man of God had been told by God, that he had to stand before Ceaser and bear testimony. The bible says in Acts 9:15 'But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. ' Paul was to stand before kings and testify.

But on the way to Rome, where Caesar is, we find the ship he was being transported in being caught in a storm. The storm was so powerful that they were shipwrecked. They swam ashore on a small island called Malta. For all those who were with Paul, it looked like a bad time.

But Jesus had a plan for the people of Malta. They had to be saved. They had to be healed, and hence Paul had to go through the shipwreck. One may wonder, why didn’t God just tell Paul to go there?  Paul was a prisoner on the ship. He was under the control of the centurion. The centurion did not heed Paul’s warning when they set sail from fair heavens which we see in Acts 27:9-11 'Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.” Nevertheless, the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. '

Sometimes we may be bound under someone more powerful than us, and we may not be able to do the will of God. When such bondages must be broken, disasters come. But in the disaster, the child of God would be exalted, established and the perfect will of God executed. The child of God should have faith in Jesus and His promises.

Another man of God named Jonah was running away from the will of God. He too had to suffer the wrath of a stormy sea and be thrown into the sea. However, God – ever so gracious, gave him another opportunity to change direction towards fulfilling the will of God, when he repented in the stomach of a large fish.

King David, whom God calls as the one close to His heart, when running away from Saul lost faith. He stopped enquiring to God about what he should do. He did not ask God if he should spare Saul, which he did on his own accord. (Please do read David’s Unbelief that delayed his blessings and brought destruction (smoothstoneministry.com) for a better understanding of this)

David ended up seeking protection from the Philistines, who were idol worshippers. God was not happy with this. He lost everything at Ziklag (I Samuel 30). He lost his wives, children and all his possessions. The men with him lost everything too. In verse 6 we find he has also lost the faith of his team - 'Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.'

The last part of the verse “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God”, is a beautiful reminder for every child of God who has backslid and is in trouble. The loss of everything from family to leadership to possessions, shook David, that he went back to his roots. He was rooted in God before, and now he is coming back there. When we read further, he starts seeking God’s guidance again. From then on we see him win battles, retrieve all that he lost and some more. God eliminates Saul and puts David back on the path to be King over Israel.

Sometimes God must send a disaster to change our path, just like in David’s life. But He will be waiting with His wide open arms to give back everything a child of God lost in the process – only they need to go back to their roots.

Another incident documented in the Bible is the trial by fire for three friends – Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego. If you read the book of Daniel carefully, it's Daniel who was elevated by the king first. And Daniel elevated his friends. But when we read the Bible, its clear that Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego were equally prayerful and faithful to God. And God sought a way to elevate them and exalt His Holy name in the process. But what struck the three was a disaster in human sight. They had antagonized the King when they had to choose between the King and their God. The result – being thrown into a fiery furnace. But lo and behold, the ever-faithful God did a miracle that goes beyond human understanding – the fire did not harm them. The fire only broke their bonds, by which they were tied before being thrown into the fire.

In the end, we read in Daniel 3:28-30 'Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.'

God made the names of His children well known in the kingdom, He glorified His Holy name and made the king elevate the three friends this time around – what a blessing when it looked like a disaster. The fiery disaster was there to change the direction of the status of the three friends upward.

Separation by choice– A direction Changer

Here I got reminded of 2 sets of people. The first is Lot & Abraham. In Genesis 13, Abraham asks Lot to choose his path. They had very many cattle and servants, that staying together was leading to a lot of strife between the people belonging to the two of them. Lot looked up and saw that the plains of Jordan were very fertile. He looked at the worldly attractions in his worldly wisdom. He also thought he was better off without Abraham, so he consented to go a separate way. But then, we know how it ended for him. He had to be rescued by Abraham once. And later he lost his wife and the possessions that he had in Sodom. He also ended up fathering two sets of people through his daughters who are an abomination to the Lord.

On the other hand, we see a second set of people – Ruth & Naomi. Naomi had left Israel to go to Moab during a famine. She has a terrible life in Moab – The same abominable people who came out of Lot through his eldest daughter. Ruth was a Moabite. But when Naomi wants to go back to Israel, that’s like saying a backslider deciding to go back to her roots, she is given a choice to go back to her people – The Moab. But Ruth, in whose lineage Jesus was born, chose to leave behind her people and choose the Holy God of Naomi. Ruth 1:16 'But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.'

What a contrasting set of choices. Lot separated from Abraham – who God Blessed while Ruth separated from Moab when she got an opportunity and chose the path to the Holy God. This is where a child of God has to learn a lesson. God does not force anyone to do His will. There is always a choice. Which path you take, will decide if you go the way of God or the opposite direction. God, Heaven and the blessings that come with them or the world, hell and the curse that comes with it. The choice one makes changes the direction of your life – either towards good or bad. Make life choices prayerfully to go in the right direction.

Praise the Lord!

Glory be to Jesus.