Nudges | Listen | Follow the Clues

The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given —and you will receive even more. Mark 4:24

“The barn look behind, another clue you will find.” The slip of paper floated to the ground as the boys tore through the field following treasure hunt clues. The prize was a box of candy and a video game, but the clues did not lead them directly to it. Each printed slip of paper took them to the next: through the cornfield, Mr. Bart’s house, the chicken coop, down the drive, and under the porch where they discovered the coveted box. When Ryan’s team tried to outsmart the clues and skip steps, they were left in the dust. Jake’s team won because they patiently followed the clues. That’s how we win too.

God rarely gives us answers up front. We ask for guidance, for direction, to show us how this will turn out. He usually doesn’t answer the way we think He should. Instead, He leaves clues for us to follow: in His word, through a sermon, the words of a friend, an odd circumstance, then a confirmation in our hearts when we discover the coveted answer. We’d prefer a map showing the shortest route to our destination. But God wants to build our faith and our character by teaching us to follow Him, step by step. Skipping clues and running ahead leads us in the wrong direction. Following the clues takes us to the treasure.

Final Thought:  The closer we listen, the wiser we grow. The wiser we grow, the more He reveals. Want more? Listen more.

Prayer: Father, my impatience shows up when I have to wait on your direction. I’d like the whole map laid out in front of me, but you don’t do it that way. You want me to walk by faith. Help me obey what I know to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.