Know you not that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1 Cor 3:16

An automobile Global Positioning System (GPS) is designed to assist people in navigating more accurately in their travels. An amazing device, it can coordinate destinations with audio directions, provide maps, reroute around traffic congestion, and do all sorts of helpful things such as locate points of interest, fueling stations, hospitals, etc. My wife and I use one and it helps us eliminate time wasted in being confused, frustrated and lost. For us, it’s a good thing.

As with our GPS, there are inner guidelines in life that pack great truth, trustworthiness, and wisdom. These are the ones that help realign our balance and destiny so we can live, and move, and have our being more righteously. In today’s message, may we share what we consider a particular inspiration that qualifies as the premier guideline or inner product.

The ancient text says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt 5:3) With a new spiritual nature, the Bible says those of us in God’s family can now be led by His Spirit (Rom 8:14). So by faith, and in the most reverential way, let’s call it God’s Positioning Spirit or GPS.

When we’re on the top of the mountain with a perfect view and everything is moving smoothly, we sometimes forget the impending valley. In reality, it’s in the valley where we’ll spend most of our time; the place of misdirection, confusion, challenges and daunting jams. So what about this inner guideline we can access? Brace yourself….the following gem comes from the diary of Matthew Henry, famous author and practical commentator of the Bible back in the early 1700’s.

This is what this man wrote in his diary right after he was mugged: “Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”

Conviction strikes as we read his words. If you are anything like me, my natural bent is not to pause to be grateful in all circumstances but to look to get even or retaliate. Only the inner Spiritual influence and dedicated software programming of an ever-loving God can effectively transform our fundamental attitude like He obviously did with Matthew Henry.

May our prayer be that, by God’s grace, we be more righteously positioned to walk in an attitude laced with grateful wisdom, no matter what our circumstances. Lord, help us eliminate wasted time in being angry and/or lost in sin and unforgiveness. Speak to our hearts and help us hear Your guiding, guarding, and governing voice so we can navigate in pleasing You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

May our “journeys” this week be determined by God’s Positioning Spirit. For each of us, that would be more than a good thing… Yes, a God thing!

Psalm 37:23; Col 3:15; Prov 3:5-6; Rom 12:2