February 11, 2022 — The Blind Spot Indicator

“I’ve been thinking about getting a new car,” Stan commented one morning while we waited for breakfast.

“Found any good ones?”  I asked.

“Well,” Stan said, “I’ve just started looking.  I don’t get a new car very often and they cost a bundle so it may take some time to decide which is the right one.”

Continuing, he added, “I was out at one of the dealers on Auto Parkway yesterday and took a real nice car out for a test drive. As I said, it’s been quite awhile since I got a new car. There’s a lot of new technology stuff that I’m not familiar with.”

“Did you have a good test drive?” I asked.

“Sure did,” Stan replied, “and I discovered something about the car that I didn’t know it had. And it turned out to have a real application to my faith walk.”

“New car? Test drive? Faith walk? How so?”

“While we were driving on that new freeway that heads over to Centerville,” Stan replied, “I was in the right lane. The sales person told me to change lanes.  So I turned on the turn signal indicator to get ready to change lanes to the left, and all of a sudden there was this loud beeping. Nearly scared me to death!”

“What was that all about?” I asked.

“It was something called the Blind Spot Indicator. I’m not real sure how it works, cameras or something, but the car sensed that there was another vehicle in the lane next to me and warned me that it was where I couldn’t see it in the rearview mirror.”

“That pesky blind spot where you just can’t see,” I said. “That sort of warning system could really be helpful.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Stan replied.  “It could have been at least a small disaster if I would have crashed into the car next to me.”

“After I got home from the test drive, I was thinking about what had happened, as well as what could have happened, and I started thinking about how great it would be if I had a blind spot indicator for every area of my life.”

“One that would warn you not to change directions because there was danger?” I suggested.

“Exactly,” Stan said. “And you know what? The Holy Spirit spoke up and said that I already have one.”

“Already have one?” I replied.  “You mean like the Holy Spirit is in you to warn you that you need to keep on the right path and not change lanes?”

“That’s it, my friend,” Stan said. “He’s in me for that very purpose. The biggest problem I have is that sometimes I don’t hear His ‘beeping’ and/or His voice is too easy for me to ignore.”

“So you crash?”

“Sometimes,” Stan replied. “Hopefully, it won’t be too serious and I can learn from it through confession and repentance as the Holy Spirit picks me up, dusts me off, bandages any wounds, and sets me back on the path He has for me.”

“The Holy Spirit as the Blind Spot Indicator,” I said. “Good to have on all of the time!”

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Bible verses to consider:

The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. Proverbs 4:18.

I am the way, . . . . John 14:6.

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. John 14:16-17.

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.  Romans 8:14.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, that you want to lead me in everything, and that you want to warn me about the dangers of straying off of the path you have for me.  Thank you for your presence in me through your Holy Spirit for those purposes. I confess that too often I do not listen to the warning voice of the Holy Spirit because I choose not to listen. Please forgive that foolish approach to living the life you have given me to live, and please forgive all of my wandering away from you.  Also, Father, please help me to be so attuned to your Spirit that I hear and heed all of His warnings.  Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Think on this: Do you have the Holy Spirit in you to help warn you of blind spots? If no, is that because you have not accepted God’s free and gracious gift of salvation and redemption? Or is it because you have not received the Holy Spirit? Or, perhaps, is it because you don’t listen to the His voice?  In any event, if you sense the need to seek, find, and embrace the warnings of the Holy Spirit for your life, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?