Invisible Guidance

   The weather in central Texas is warming up. I think spring is just around the corner. I took my Newfoundland dog with me this morning on my walk through the woods. I was enjoying watching the birds and squirrels in the trees. My dog was consumed with a totally different thing. She was running along sniffing at every tree and bush. It was if she was in a different world, or a parallel universe, seeing things that were invisible to me. At times she would leave her “mark” on the side of the trail. Evidently she was using some type of invisible language to communicate with other animals. I had no idea what message was being communicated. 

    Seeing my dog respond to these invisible marks reminded me of how the Holy Spirit can be an invisible guide to help us along life’s highways! While on earth Jesus told us that the Father would send the comforter, or Holy Spirit, to guide us and show us things that are to come. There are multiple examples in the New Testament of the Holy Spirit guiding people.  Acts 10:19 tells us how the Spirit told Peter to go with the men sent by Cornelius. In Acts 8 the Spirit instructed Philip to go and join the Ethiopian man in the chariot.

    Thankfully today the Holy Spirit is still providing guidance for our lives. When I was in college, one of my very close friends was involved in a fatal car accident. It would have been an almost unbearable event, had it not been for the comfort and guidance of the Spirit.  The evening before the accident, when I started driving home from work, I felt the Holy Spirit moving on me to pray. I didn’t know what to pray for but I felt a really strong urging to pray. After driving across town, I decided to stop by my church and continue my praying. I spent several hours in prayer that evening. The next day, just after arriving at work, I received the word that my friend was involved in the accident. I then understood why I felt the need to pray.  God was preparing me for a difficult situation. We are so blessed to have a God, who knows the future, and prepares us to face each new day!