I love to sing in the choir. Like my grandmother before me, I am an alto, and I truly love the part that I sing. The alto part adds harmony, is often complex and challenging, and it adds a depth to the music that is subtle, yet stunning.   Singing in a choir means we all understand the part we’re given. When we need to try and cross over into another role (altos are sometimes asked to sing tenor), it can be challenging and easy to get lost, reverting back to the familiar. I love singing as part of a whole… I’ve never wanted to be a soloist, but have always thrived in helping to strengthen the overall sound. I am much the same way in how I live my life.

God gives us all unique gifts and abilities. When we try to live out our lives in a way that is contrary to His plan for us, we tend to struggle and easily lose our way. God is our spiritual GPS, and manifests in the form of the Holy Spirit. A GPS works great, but only if you choose to use it. It is the same with the gift of the Holy Spirit. If we do not consistently reach out to God and ask for guidance, we can quickly take a wrong turn and end up in a place He never intended for us to be. Fortunately, He can always guide us back to our own highway, but again, only if we ask.

Not too long ago, before we had the option of GPS available to us, we had to use maps. I can remember planning a trip across the country on a map  of the United States. First I had to find my starting point, and then I highlighted each road, turn by turn, all the way to my final destination. I never knew exactly how many miles from one turn to the next. All I knew was that I needed to turn onto such and such highway in such and such city. In the car, all along the route, the map was checked frequently to be sure we weren’t off course. It took more effort, but with diligence, we still got where we were going.

In a sense, that is the difference between life before the sacrifice of Jesus, and after. In the Old Testament, those folks were given a very specific and arduous road map to follow. The terrain was hard and unforgiving, and they had very few people who were able to read and understand the directions. They often wanted to take short cuts, as they were fooled into thinking they knew a better way to get where THEY wanted to go. However, that was their problem. The Israelites were trying to go their own way instead of staying true to the map God had given them, and as a result, they got lost. Eventually, God was fed up with their refusal to follow Him and the path He laid out for them, so they were forced into exile and servitude. Basically, He took their map away and withdrew from them Himself, as well.

But, God loves His children. He didn’t want to lose them forever. So, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live and die here on earth, in order to give all of His children a way to get back home. It was the greatest GPS upload in history! Through living His life in strict accordance with the map given Him by the Father, Christ ended up exactly where God needed Him to be in order to seal the deal on the final steps of the installation of the Holy Spirit. Jesus followed the path we were too imperfect to follow, and became the most beloved shortcut imaginable.

Jesus told His disciples in John 14: 16-20 AMP, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor-Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever–the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, bereaved, and helpless]; I will come [back] to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. On that day [when that time comes] you will know for yourselves that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.”

The gift of the Holy Spirit as our internal (and eternal) GPS, guaranteeing that if we tap into that gift and learn how to follow the guidance we are given, we will never get lost. We may not be able to see or understand where we are or where exactly we are going, but our trust and faith in God’s plan will ensure that we will get where we’re intended to be, which is back home to live eternally with our Heavenly Father.

“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he who believes [in Me as Savior– whoever adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me–already] has eternal life [that is, now possesses it].” John 6:47 AMP.

Sometimes it is indescribably difficult to endure the waiting time between one step in life to the next. The pain of waiting for resolution where you know in needs to be can feel unbearable. Do you think the mental anguish Jesus endured while waiting for the inevitable culmination of His life on earth was easier for Him to bear? He was human, just like you and me. He was afraid, but He kept His faith and trust in His Father’s plan. In spite of His fear and pain, He remained at peace because He knew God’s timing was perfect, and every step and stop along His path in life would lead Him to where He needed to be in order to obtain the final victory over death. He remained at peace because His love for us and His Father was stronger than the fear spoken into His heart by the enemy.

Yes, we are weak in the flesh, but through the gift of the Holy Spirit, Christ lives WITHIN us every moment of our lives, which means we have more than our own strength to rely on during our struggles. We have the power of God!! He won’t insist that we turn to Him and take hold of that power, but He will always be standing at the ready and give it freely when we humble ourselves and ask for His help. He is ready to guide us down the path He has laid out for us…ready to teach us our part in the great choir of life. All He asks is that we stop trying to figure it out for ourselves, and allow Him to lead so we are able to follow the part created specifically for us.

The only life we can lead is the one WE were given…not the life meant for somebody else. How many of us are trying to lead lives we have set our own minds to, without asking God if we’re leading the lives HE intends?