Your Clock and Your Compass…or His?

I worked for a pastor many moons ago, that I learned to truly appreciate him after I no longer worked for him. He was like a tough coach that wouldn’t let you slack on things, he pushed me beyond my limits to show me where I could go. He pushed me to more like Christ and I didn’t always see it or understand it. Years later, I often go back and read the notes from his sermons, staff meetings, and other things he taught and wrote. They all transport me back to a certain message that I heard him speak years ago, “The Clock and The Compass”. It is a lesson that I have referred to often, quoted from, and shared with others. It marked me so much, I now have a little travel clock and a compass that sits on a shelf in my office to remind me of the God’s Timing and God’s Direction for my life!

This morning, a young lady that I know and really love watching her grow in her faith, wrote the following… “God is writing your story and He is a very good author!” I couldn’t agree more Abby, thanks for the reminder! I thought to myself this morning when I read that, “He is also a pretty excellent map maker or adventure guide or roller coaster developer”.

As a matter of fact, the older I get, I tend to think God wants us to be quite the thrill seekers! You see, we cannot do “our thing” as Christ Followers unless we are completely dependent on Him. To be honest, most of the time I think I/We all have trouble with this. We hate not being able to see the “end of the line”, the reason or purpose, or how about just the next turn. It all seems to venture back to what our clock reads and what direction our compass is set on. We don’t like not being in control of the map, the story, the clock or the compass.

You see though, that’s the problem. Life is not about our clock and compass, it is about His clock … 2 Peter 3:8, “… a day is as a 1,000 years to the Lord, and 1,000 years is like a day.”  and His compass… Ps. 25:4&5, “Make me know your ways, O Lord; Teach me your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me. For You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day.”

Interesting thing about His compass… the above passage says ‘for You I wait all the day‘. Sometimes we don’t know which way, but we will wait. But then when we pay attention to His time, well that being said… 1,000 years…He may have us wait a while for the direction. Talk about the wait!

Question… “Is a wait that long – worth it?”

To answer – while you and I are not in the wait – FOR SURE IT IS WORTH IT!

To answer – while you and I are in the wait – most of the time we say – THAT’S A REALLY LONG WAIT! MAYBE THERE IS A DIFFERENT ANSWER!

Now… enter a thought that crossed my mind as I think of Pastors’ talk on the Clock and Compass…A thought that holds my attention as I contemplate my own questions concerning His Clock and His Compass…A thought of truth, seasoned with matter of fact and freedom all in the same thought…

We should realize that everything we go through, everything we learn, every place that we end up at, everything that we find ourselves walking through; they all help our clock and our compass. Our timing and our direction are all so very important not just to us, but more importantly to HIM – the greatest Map Maker of all time – the greatest Author ever. All of these stops, delays, pesky little journeys, and destinations – they have certain deadlines and reasons, certain u-turns and moments, certain people and places that have significance for you and I. We potentially have yet to determine all of their significance… simply because His Timing and His Direction aren’t part of a story that He is writing…they are the story He is writing…and He is a Great Author!

And remember that Great Authors don’t give away the end of the story until the end of the book…

…TO BE CONTINUED…