Greater than my experience.

The other day as I was returning from work, I made a stop at a shop. I had a couple of options on which way to take home but because I was in a hurry, I wanted to know the fastest way home.

I decided to consult Google Maps on my phone. Do note that I have had positive experiences with Google Maps in the past, so I was open to go with its suggestion.

To my greatest surprise though, it showed my fastest way home was through “Allen Avenue”. The first thought that came to my mind was 'My Google Maps is broken'.

You wouldn’t blame me! Google Maps had never suggested Allen Avenue to me before at that time of the day and anyway, everyone knows that Allen Avenue traffic could be crazy during rush hour.

I re-entered the destination, made sure the traffic update was on and it still suggested going through “Allen Avenue”.😱😱

As I sat in the car, debating what to do and which route to take since obviously my Google Maps was faulty, I heard clearly in my spirit, “ *This is how people argue with the Holy Spirit* ”. My children are using their limited personal experience to judge the wisdom of the all-knowing God.

Leaning on personal experience is one of the greatest barriers to obeying the Holy Spirit. 

Peter was an _experienced_ fisherman. He had fished all night and caught nothing. In the morning, a “Rabbi” tells him to put his net for a catch in the same water he had toiled all night.

Experience had told Peter it was better to fish at night, that there was no fish in the water that day. He had even washed his net...so putting it back in the water, meant he would have to wash it again. But for some reason, he listened to this teacher.

He let go of his personal experience that was saying putting your net back into the water would be a fruitless effort, to cast his net in obedience for a catch. What a catch he got! (Lk 5:1 -7).

How often do we argue with the Holy Spirit because what He is saying does not line up with what our experience or what the ‘proven’ indicators are telling us.

Interestingly, just as I consulted Google Maps, we start off asking God to direct us, but when God reveals His plan or shows us a way, we start to 'test' it against our human experience.

Let us pray...

Father I pray, that I will always be conscious of when I am letting my very limited experience challenge and question the wisdom of the all-knowing God, the one who sees the end from the beginning. Yes, I know wisdom is profitable to direct, but God is the one who knows the best pathway for our life (Ps32:8). Help me to trust your leading always, in Jesus name. Amen

Remain Blessed


The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.   I will advise you and watch over you. Ps32:8 NLT

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