0
1
By Rev Don Rivers
Life is full of temptations, challenges, difficulties and decisions. Are we trying to get through it on our own? Do we have someone providing some direction and guidance? Is there someone walking beside us? Who is alongside us as we walk the road of Life? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The other day I was standing behind the grandstands talking with a friend waiting for the Modifieds to take the track for practice. I wasn’t sure what the schedule was but when I started to see the stream of spotters walk by with the tools of their trade in their hand I knew the time was close.
A spotter’s tools are simple; a good set of eyes to be able to watch what is happening, good judgment about how to advise the driver and a way to communicate to the driver. We can all watch but a good spotter sees difficulty coming before it happens. Some things that happen need to be communicated to the driver and some don’t. A good spotter doesn’t overload the driver with information that they don’t need to run the race. The third thing a good spotter needs is a way to communicate to the driver. Just having a radio and talking into the mic doesn’t qualify. The spotter and the driver need to speak the same language; they need not only to hear each other but to understand what the other means.
I think it is safe to say that we all have someone, at least one, that we turn to for guidance and direction. For many of us that is our dad. Last week I talked about the timing of things in life and how we should be thankful for each moment we have. This past week has been a difficult week for young Ty Gibbs. His greatest difficulty is maturing under a microscope.
He made a bonehead, selfish move at Martinsville. He faced the scorn of NASCAR Nation. More importantly he felt the burden of letting his family down. He will learn and grow. I am hopeful he can overcome his immaturity. That will be more difficult without his father by his side.
I am sure he was thankful to have him by his side in Victory Lane at Phoenix to celebrate the championship, but a few short hours later his dad went home to be with the Lord. We were just together. We just celebrated a championship. We talked about our future plans. We had so much future ahead of us. How could it all be gone in an instant?
The Gibbs family has seen their share of triumph. They have also known tragedy. Their lives are there for all of us to watch and see how they respond. They have always been thankful to have God by their side and a strong father, Joe, to guide them through the most difficult times. Godspeed Coy.
Remember the words I shared; we only have one life to live and for each one the end is certain to come. We plan and dream, looking forward to the days ahead, when in fact, it is not the days ahead we need to focus on, it is this day, this moment.
We are fond of planning for tomorrow, looking ahead to the things we are going to do, the places we will go. Truth be told it is in those moments when we lose sight of what is truly important. We can be so focused on tomorrow that we forget that today is all we can count on.
Don’t take for granted the help and sacrifice of others. We need to make an effort and show how thankful we are for the guidance we receive. We don’t know what tomorrow holds and the end result of our actions; where things will lead.
John 14:16-18, 25-27, (Jesus answered) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
In addition, we read in the book of Acts;
Acts 5:5, And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
The Holy Spirit is given to us to guide our heart in the paths that are right. I am reminded of the cartoon with the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other. This is a good illustration of what happens when the Spirit comes into our lives. He guides us with the right advice, but there is that other voice. That voice inside us that tells us something different, something not of God. Which voice do we follow? Which guidance do we take?
To answer that question, it is helpful to have another type of spotter in your life. Someone who will hold you accountable to the choices you make. Someone trustworthy, someone who loves you, someone who would lay down their life for you, a true friend.
We need this type of person always in our life. We can ignore the voice of the Spirit and make wrong choices. But they look out ahead and spot the trouble before we see it. They talk us through and guide us around the difficulty. They want us to finish the race of life in the best possible condition.
We need to have The Holy Spirit as our guide. We receive The Holy Spirit when we ask Jesus to come into our heart. When we seek forgiveness from God for our shortcomings and accept the sacrifice Jesus made for us. When we ask God for his forgiveness and presence in our lives He sends The Holy Spirit to live in our heart. The Holy Spirit is our guide. He guides us in the paths that are right. He counsels us, to show us the truth.
I am thankful that God cares for us so much he doesn’t leave us or forsake us. He cares so much He provides a guide for us. Do you have the Holy Spirit in your heart? You can. He will be with you and will never leave you. Ask God today to send Him and God will honor that request. The key component is asking with sincerity in our heart; we have to want to.
Seek out the guidance of The Holy Spirit today. Accept the sacrifice Jesus made for you and ask God to forgive your sin. If your heart is sincere the transaction is done, your life has changed.
I would ask that you share that with us so that we can rejoice with you. We can also help and guide you along the road. We will come alongside you and walk with you through life. We will help you through the difficulties. We will do our best to help you figure out life and learn how to live it to the fullest.
Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.
