Faith in TomTom

"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29 Those of you who know me well, know that I have no sense of direction and panic when I am driving somewhere I have never been before. I don't know how to follow directions that deal with north, south, east, and west. I would rather you tell me to turn left when I see a big green house or something (poor Shane!) Anyway, this weekend, I was asked to speak at a retreat in Leesburg, Al and I had no clue how to get there. Shane had a great idea and he suggested that I take his GPS along ( I call it TomTom because that's the brand it is and it sounds like TomTom could be the name of the guy in the box that talks). For those of you who are like me and unfamiliar with the GPS navigation system, you type in your destination and then TomTom tells you where to turn and what roads to follow. My best friend Angel and I set out for this place we had never been before with no map, no directions...just the voice of TomTom. Soon, much to our surprise, we arrived safely to our destination. Then, when we were ready to begin our journey home, both of us had complete faith that TomTom would get us back. God, ever so sweetly, convicted me of my lack of faith in Him and my new faith in this box. I so often doubt God, who has done so many things in my life and given me overwhelming evidence that He is present, but then completely trusted this crazy box with no question! I smiled when I thought about the verse in John 20:19 when Jesus says that those who would believe without seeing Him would be blessed. We are 'those'. I read my Bible sometimes and think how amazing it must have been for the people in Jesus' day to witness His miracles or walk and talk with Him. How the sick woman must have felt when she reached out and touched the actual hem of Jesus' garment! But as awesome as it must have been, there were still those that saw all of this and still didn't believe. I know that had to be difficult for Christ. He was showing them the way and yet, they still didn't get it. Don't we still do that? God reminded me today with that crazy TomTom that no matter how afraid I feel sometimes or even when I think He is distant, His Holy Spirit NEVER leaves me...not even for a moment. In John 16: 5-16, Jesus is trying to tell the disciples what will be in store for them after He left. He says something that I find very comforting: "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you...I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth." Have you ever felt sad because you just couldn't feel God as close to you as perhaps you had felt Him the day before? I have. God is speaking to me tonight to say that having a relationship with Him is not based on "a feeling". It's based on faith. A commitment that exists between me and God. This is the faith that Jesus refers to that is all about believing God to be who He says He is ALL THE TIME. That was God's plan. When Jesus went back to Heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent to stay with those who asked Christ into their lives. I hope you will consider what kind of faith God requires of you and me. May we put our trust in Him with no questions or hesitation on a daily basis and look for His glorious return! Love, Corrie My prayer for today: Lord, how wonderful you are to give your life for me. May I be that woman of faith that presses on even when I don't know where you are. Help your promise and gift of the Holy Spirit in my life to be enough for me...