S. Bill Jimenez
20 Oct 2009

There comes a time in life when we need to change direction. Many signs and forces work together to remind us that it’s time to change our course–it’s time to redirect our life’s journey. Adversity, boredom, crisis, rejection, retirement and other forces remind us to redirect our life.

When we read the Bible, we discover many examples of life redirected by the Lord. Take the case of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-5). Abraham was a native of Ur in Babylon (now Iraq), when God called him to move to Canaan. Another example is Moses. In Exodus 3-4, we find Moses pasturing the flock of his father-in-law in Median, when God calls him to go back to Egypt and ask for the freedom of His people, who were in bondage for some 400 years.
There was Gideon, a farmer who, “beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Medianites,” was called by God to lead an army to deliver Israel from the hand of Median (Judges 6:11-40). Then there was Amos, an ordinary shepherd from Tekoa, Judah, who was commissioned by God to be a prophet to warn the king and the elite of Israel about their impending doom because of their social injustice, corruption, and shallow religion.

In the New Testament, we have the examples of the twelve apostles who were busy practicing their respective trades when the Lord Jesus called them to follow Him. In Matthew 4:18-22, we find Peter, Andrew, John, and James engaged in their fishing business when the Lord said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And there was Paul, a Pharisee and persecutor of the early Christians. On his way to Damascus, the Lord Jesus appeared to him and commissioned him as apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:1-22).

Redirection is God’s prerogative. As we can see in all the examples cited, it’s God who actually initiates the redirection of life, which demonstrates his sovereignty. For as God declares through Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

When God calls to redirect our life, we must obey in faith. God knows best what is good for us and He knows us more than we know ourselves. When Abraham was asked to go to Canaan, he obeyed: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” Hebrews 11:8).

Many times, when our life is lacking direction, God intervenes in a timely and appropriate manner. When the Israelites were wandering aimlessly in the wilderness for 40 years, the Lord spoke to Moses, “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north” (Deuteronomy 2:3).
Jeremiah has also well said, “I know, O Lord, that man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord” (Proverbs 20:24. “All a man’s ways seem right in him, but the Lord weighs the hearts” (Proverbs 21:2).

The apostle Paul exhorts, “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance”
(2 Thessalonians 3:5). As we can see, scriptures seem to suggest that man is incapable of rightly directing himself. It takes God’s guidance and direction and our faithful and obedient response to do His will and purpose in our life.

Redirection involves change, training, and adaptation. Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” To have that confidence to achieve success, however, there is a need for preparation and training. Moses, for example, recognized his deficiency in public speaking (Exodus 4:10), in spite of the fact that he was “educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds” (Acts 7:22). His many years as a shepherd probably dampened his confidence, so Aaron spoke for him, but in time he was able to overcome his inadequacy. Later, Moses became the mentor of Joshua who succeeded him (Numbers 27:18-23).

The apostles underwent intensive training from the Lord Jesus for three years. At one time, they were sent by the Lord to preach to the lost tribes of Israel (Matthew 10). This was a form of internship, on-the-job training, before the Great Commission. Later, filled with the Holy Spirit, they preached Jesus with boldness. Speaking of training and preparation, the apostle Paul admonished the young Timothy: “Study to show yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Redirection is a fact of life. At one time or another, we need to redirect our life. At age 26, as a skeptic, my spiritual life was redirected when I was introduced to the good news of love, salvation, reconciliation and redirection. Now retired from secular work, I’m focused on our Aro Ministries. It is the nature of God’s sovereign power and will to redirect our life in order to achieve His purposes. We are God’s vessels to carry out His plan and purpose. Even flawed and imperfect people are used by God.
 In our lifetime, we must pray and seek to know of God’s purposes so that we can achieve them with His guidance and help. David did just that as recorded in Acts 13:36, “For David after he had served the purposes of God in his own generation fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers, and underwent decay.”

In living a redirected life, we need to be prepared, trained, and willing to adapt to new challenges and circumstances. We must remember that God is with us all the time. The apostle Paul assures us: “And we know that in all things God works for good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose… If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:28, 31).

To live a redirected life, we need to listen and learn from God’s word, from experts and masters. This change entails some adaptation to challenging situations as we heed the admonition of the Lord: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

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