Tuesday, January 27, 2015
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I think airlines know how boring it can be when you're flying sometimes, and they've done their best over the years to try to put all sorts of things in our seat pockets to entertain us. I remember finding catalogues where you can buy the latest gadgets, the required safety info about where the exits are, a listing of everything you can listen to on the flight. And then there were the headsets and once you plug them in, you can listen to several styles of music. Now there was a time when you could listen to the conversation between the pilot and the tower. The tower communicated to the pilot at the important parts of the flight, like clearing them for takeoff, or landing. And then you could also hear the pilot communicating throughout the flight.
Now, the tower has very important information to give between that takeoff and that landing. I mean, there's more to the flight than just the beginning and the end. I think it's important for the pilot to know if there are other planes out there, and if they're close to you. Or if bad weather is coming, that could mean a change of plans. And, I don't need to hear the conversation, I'm just glad my pilot's going to know that stuff. And I certainly wouldn't want the pilot to turn off the tower after he takes off.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Always in Touch With the Tower."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Galatians 5:25. God says in these simple instructions, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Of course He's speaking of the Holy Spirit of God. He's talking about that wonderful internal guidance system that you've got in the Holy Spirit who came into your life the day you opened your life to Jesus as your personal Savior. He's living in your body. He's in your personality. All day long He's trying to tell you the next thing God wants you to do, or something He wants you to avoid or change or He wants to guide you through a decision.
That's why it says, "Keep in step with the Spirit." You can't just plug in when morning comes and then again at night. You never know where the Lord might want to steer you next, or when. That's a problem with us busy people. We check in with the tower when we take off in the morning, then we don't check in until the end of the day's flight. You've got to get in touch with the Lord at the beginning, at the end, but also as you go through your flight all day long.
We tend to turn our radio off then. Take off our headsets. We make a hundred little decisions on our own without consulting the Lord. We get cut off from the tower, so we end up in a lot of turbulence, we get off course, we crash into people, we make unnecessary mistakes. Following Jesus means listening to the Spirit's directing all day long, not just at your prayer time, your Bible reading time, not just the beginning not just at the end.
Now look, I am a straight-ahead, go-for-it, make a schedule, make a plan, make a list kind of person. Sometimes I'm so goal oriented, I've unintentionally turned off the tower. At that point you just can't hear the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit of God. So I have missed one of the great gifts I got when I got Jesus - the perfect guidance of my Creator who makes no mistakes.
So I'm trying to become a better listener to the Holy Spirit inside of me. And I'll tell you, it's exciting. I encourage you to check in regularly through the day, "Which way do you want to go right now, Lord? What should come first?" Allow the Spirit to steer you into things and into people you never planned. It might look like a detour to you, but if the Spirit pulls you in that direction, that's no detour, that's your main road. I call this "Spirit-tanaity". I'm learning what that's all about; letting the Spirit direct you moment by moment, hour by hour.
The Holy Spirit might be saying "you've got to stop and call that person." You may not know why this is happening, but you get the prompting. He might be leading you to write to someone, to stop for someone, to hug a child, to stop for time with someone you love or who needs you, He may be prompting you to wait when you want to plunge ahead or to go for it when you want to wait.
Practice seeking the Lord's promptings. Listening to His promptings. Asking for His promptings. That's how you end up on course, living every day in the center of God's guidance. You want the safest route to the best destination, keep your headset on from takeoff to landing every day and stay in touch with the tower.