A Compass without a Needle

image by Getty images

At some point in the seeker’s life, a different kind of decision must be made other than whether or not to sin. These decisions are the most difficult because all choices point to serving God… but only one choice can be made. The dilemma is… which one? Especially when the signs aren’t clear. At least in Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Less Travelled,” he could see that there was a path less used and that helped him make his choice.

But the days of signs from God no longer come in the form of Burning Bushes, Symbols in the Sky, or Audible Voices from Heaven. Sometimes, they come in different ways.

Imagine having a compass with all the cardinal directions marked: N S E W…. Very clearly labeled. And suppose your destination is to go North. Holding that compass in your hand, you find the N on its face, and begin walking in that direction… only to find out, you’ve been slowly walking in a very wide circle. Always moving, but ending up in the same place you started. Lots of effort… no real destiny reached. And… with all your heart, you truly intended to arrive somewhere significant. You wanted to go where God wanted you to go. Your intentions were pure and well-meaning… but you got no where.

Then you check your compass again. Yes, there still exists N S E W on its face. They are printed in the correct alignment. But you finally realize a component is missing… The Magnetized Needle. You are missing that one piece that relies on an unseen force to truly set your course on the right path. Once that component is found and put in place, you discover that you’ve been slightly off-course the whole time. Now, the needle, guided by that unseen force, helps you find True North… and you can finally head in the right direction.

As I began, the seeker will, at some point, be forced with an important decision to make. All choices could equally please God. Our intentions are just that… we want to serve, and live for God… but we are torn, not about yielding to temptation or standing in faith… but between two equally positive choices. At these times, we know our scripture, we can dream and conceive of the possibilities, and our hearts are in the right place. But we need an unseen force to truly point the way. We don’t understand all the ways that force works, but we’ve been told that it needs to be added to our visible assessment to help us choose.

And THAT, as Robert Frost says, “has made all the difference”

John 16:13 NIV. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”