Alene was a “compass” to get us where we needed to go!
Have you ever been lost in an unfamiliar place?
While in Ukraine, my partner (Donnie Smith) & I visited Kiev. Our missionary hosts left us by ourselves for a few days. I know some Russian, but not enough to feel confident in asking directions in an unfamiliar city! We both wanted to see some sights, but had no idea how to go about doing so! We tried to arrange for an English tour guide, but it didn’t seem to work….
Finally, I prayed & told the Lord if He didn’t want us to go, that was ok with me. But I sensed the gentle voice of the Spirit nudging me, “No, I want you to go.” My response was, “But Lord we have no guide & I only know a little Russian. Niether of us knows anything about Kiev.” Again, His gentle voice, “I don’t care if you make mistakes, I want you to try.” Armed with this inner conviction, I got up from prayer to find that our search for a tour guide had finally produced results. I had a text from someone who wanted to guide us through the city. I thought our troubles were over, but she didn’t want to meet us at the hotel. She told us to get on bus 18 & meet her at an unpronouncable bus stop.
While in Ukraine, my partner (Donnie Smith) & I visited Kiev. Our missionary hosts left us by ourselves for a few days. I know some Russian, but not enough to feel confident in asking directions in an unfamiliar city! We both wanted to see some sights, but had no idea how to go about doing so! We tried to arrange for an English tour guide, but it didn’t seem to work….
Finally, I prayed & told the Lord if He didn’t want us to go, that was ok with me. But I sensed the gentle voice of the Spirit nudging me, “No, I want you to go.” My response was, “But Lord we have no guide & I only know a little Russian. Niether of us knows anything about Kiev.” Again, His gentle voice, “I don’t care if you make mistakes, I want you to try.” Armed with this inner conviction, I got up from prayer to find that our search for a tour guide had finally produced results. I had a text from someone who wanted to guide us through the city. I thought our troubles were over, but she didn’t want to meet us at the hotel. She told us to get on bus 18 & meet her at an unpronouncable bus stop.
God knows where we are!
Yaroslavl the Wise in front of the Golden Gate of Kiev
We found the bus stop. We waited & waited for bus 18, but it took a long time. I called the guide again & told her our difficulty. She said to keep waiting, it would come. When I hung up, a lady walked up & said, “Where are you from?” As it turned out this lady just moved back to Ukraine from New York. She was a Christian, stayed with us until the bus came & got on with us. When she had to get off, she spoke to the lady seated next to me to ask if she could be sure we got to the right stop. This lady was an English teacher! We made it to the stop & enjoyed a wonderful day of sight seeing in Kiev.
We didn’t know where we were, but God did & He provided people (like a compass) on the way to point us in the right direction. Today, God knows where you are & His compass (the Bible) will point you in the right direction. If you are not a Christian, He’s nudging you the same way He did me in Kiev to ask Jesus into your heart & life. If you are a believer, the compass of Christ’s compassion for the lost is gently nudging you to get involved with His plan for people. Some of those people may be your own family, the neighbors, a co-worker, or possibly somone in another nation. He knows where we are even when we’re completely clueless. He will provide for every need for us to obey Him & to see His mission fulfilled in the earth. You can get involved in the compass of Christ’s compassion through prayer, giving, & going to a lost, hurting world. Whatever avenue you choose to get involved with, be proactive & faithful!
We didn’t know where we were, but God did & He provided people (like a compass) on the way to point us in the right direction. Today, God knows where you are & His compass (the Bible) will point you in the right direction. If you are not a Christian, He’s nudging you the same way He did me in Kiev to ask Jesus into your heart & life. If you are a believer, the compass of Christ’s compassion for the lost is gently nudging you to get involved with His plan for people. Some of those people may be your own family, the neighbors, a co-worker, or possibly somone in another nation. He knows where we are even when we’re completely clueless. He will provide for every need for us to obey Him & to see His mission fulfilled in the earth. You can get involved in the compass of Christ’s compassion through prayer, giving, & going to a lost, hurting world. Whatever avenue you choose to get involved with, be proactive & faithful!