Is it Time to Recalculate?

When the Holy Spirit is in full control of our lives, He will expect our obedience to the written Word of God. But it is part of our human problem that we would like to be full of the Spirit and yet go on and do as we please!  ~A.W. Tozer

The motel in Kansas City where we stay while RB takes classes is twenty minutes from the base of my new job. Taking advantage of the nearness during a recent week-long seminar, we scheduled a full day of meetings. Unfortunately I had to drive there -- alone. We have friends who live a block away from the publishing company, so RB showed me the way when we drove down to visit the night before the meeting day. We danced on and off the road so many times, exiting left then right, until I knew it wouldn't be an easy drive for me.  

Armed with Mapquest printouts and a GPS, I built in an extra twenty minutes to get to my meeting on time. Let me tell you, I gave that poor GPS a real workout. It just recalculated and recalculated and recalculated.  I imagined I caught a hint of exasperation in the woman's voice before I was halfway there.

I was thrilled when I arrived, but that thrill was gone six hours later when I realized I still had to get home. Between the publishing company and home was a detour, making my anxiety rise at each new "recalculating."  Oh, how wonderful to glimpse the "nearing destination" landmark bridge and how good to arrive at the hotel!  

God never wastes our experiences, does He? I was resting after my successful landing, my ears still ringing with, "recalculating," when I thought about the times in my life that the Holy Spirit had whispered, "Recalculating." Times when I said unkind words. Times when I was careless in modesty and lax in my devotional times. Times when attitudes weren't pleasing to God. Times I allowed outward circumstances to steal my joy.

I may have been frustrated with my GPS, but following it did get me right to where I needed to go. Following my spiritual GPS will get me to my Heavenly home. Jesus said, "When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth." I want to live in truth. I want a heart sensitive to the slightest whisper of the Spirit, a willingness to change my path. 

In the 1700's Charles Wesley wrote this hymn: 

I want a principle within

Of jealous, godly fear,
A sensibility of sin,
A pain to feel it near.
I want the first approach to feel
Of pride or fond desire,
To catch the wand’ring of my will,
And quench the kindling fire.

From Thee that I no more may part,
No more Thy goodness grieve,
The filial awe, the fleshly heart,
The tender conscience, give.
Quick as the apple of an eye,
O God, my conscience make;
Awake my soul when sin is nigh,
And keep it still awake.

Almighty God of truth and love,
To me Thy pow’r impart;
The mountain from my soul remove,
The hardness from my heart.
Oh, may the least omission pain
My reawakened soul,
And drive me to that blood again,
Which makes the wounded whole.

(You can read an article on this hymn in God's Revivalist. Larry Smith is one of my favorite speakers and wordsmiths.)

The hymn is my prayer. Sometimes in the busyness of life I can race past the speed limits, curve warnings and workers ahead lights if I'm not careful enough to listen for the Holy Spirit's voice. But I'm reaching for a principle within, knowing He is always faithful if I will follow.
How about you? Have you heard the Spirit's "recalculating" lately? 

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