The Navigator

When I first started driving I remember using paper maps and road atlases to plan trips.  The disadvantage was that those did not update.  They couldn’t tell me where the constructions zones were located or give me real-time data about accidents and congested traffic.  I would have to buy updated maps every couple of years to see new roads that had been built.

With the internet came Google® Maps, which changed the way I planned my trips.  The nice thing about online maps was that I could see the distance for different routes without having to pull out a ruler and measure between the starting and ending points on the map.  I could compare different routes with a click of a button and decide which one was best for me. The main disadvantage of using online maps was that it required me to plan ahead so I could print the route in advance to take with me.

Eventually with advances in technology, came access to navigation systems.  I am not one of those people who are the first to have all the new gadgets so I’ve never had a navigation system in my car, but I did start using a navigator app on my cellphone a few years ago.  I can type a destination in my app and get turn-by-turn directions to any location.  I can see alternate routes to consider and get information about the traffic or construction along my route.  If I miss a turn, the app will recalculate the route and help me get back on track to my destination.  I find that I don’t worry about figuring out the route on a trip now.  I can get in the car and trust the navigator to direct me to where I need to go. 

According to the dictionary, a navigator is a person who guides you along a route.  His job is to know the map, identify the possible routes, pick the best one to take, and keep an eye on factors that affect the journey.  Once we become a Christian, we have access to the ultimate Navigator who will guide us along our path in life.  We aren’t left on our own to navigate life’s journey.  We have a guide who knows all and sees all.  He is our Helper, the Holy Spirit, who the Father sent to teach us all things and to remind us of all Jesus said (John 14:26) and did for us.

We all have ideas about how we want our life to go, but those ideas are based on our limited view and perceptions.  If we will put our trust in God to determine the path we should take, then He will not forsake us (Psalm 9:10).  The Holy Spirit dwells within us so when God searches our heart, He sees the Holy Spirit.  When we don’t know how we should pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26-27) That is such a comforting thought to me.  When we are so overwhelmed and too weak to take another step and we don’t even know what to pray, then we can come before the Lord and just be silent as the Holy Spirit communicates with the Father in a way that words cannot express.  

The Holy Spirit is the type of navigator I want in my life.  He knows the Father’s plan.  He sees the difficulties ahead and knows how to avoid them or to walk through them with me.  He knows if I should take the fastest route, avoid the toll roads, or take a side trip.  I have learned that by trusting the Navigator and not my own plans (Proverbs 3:5-6) then my path is better than I could have ever imagined.  God’s route is always filled with the best for me.  It may not be the easiest, but it makes me into the person He wants me to be. I know that because He began a good work in me and will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ when I reach my destination. (Philippians 1:6) To get there I just have to listen to the Navigator and follow his turn-by-turn directions. 

Check back next time to take a look at how we learn to recognize the Navigator’s voice.