Step #1: Lectio / ReadClick the link below or open your Bible to the passage and read through the reading at least once, paying attention to what is happening in the text. Step #2: Meditatio / MeditateUse the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again) Who stops and asks for directions anymore? I know I don’t! I have my smart phone that has GPS on it and it tells me where to go and to turn around if I’ve made a wrong turn. Sometimes I have absolutely no idea where I am going and I just blindly follow the directions my GPS tells me. Then I got to thinking about it: why do I put so much faith and trust into my GPS to get me places, but I do not always trust God? When going through life, it can be easy to think about God kind of like a GPS. He tells me when I should take a turn or the next step I should take. But there are times when I ignore the directions and other times I question the directions God gives me. When driving, if I’m on the same stretch of highway for a long distance, the GPS is quiet and doesn’t have any directions for me. I sometimes get worried and have to check to be sure I’m still on the right road. Similarly, there are times in our life when God puts us on a path where we are supposed to keep going for a while. It can be frustrating when it feels like we are not getting any direction, but really the direction is to stay true to the path we are on. Often when this happens, I want the reassurance that I am on the right path, especially when the path is long and hard. When these periods of long and hard roads happen, I find myself going to God and asking for more directions, similar to what he psalm is saying today. “Guide me, Lord,” are words I need to say more often and actually listen to the directions He tells me for my life. There are also times when following directions can be hard when they don’t seem familiar or it seems like you’re taking a wrong turn. When using a GPS, I always seem to have trust that it will get me where I need to go, even if it looks like a sketchy neighborhood. On the other hand, when the directions God gives me don’t seem to look that great, I tend to question if I made the “right turn in life” or if God misdirected me. Unlike a GPS, God always knows exactly where we are and where we ultimately want to end up. He will loving tell us when we need to turn on a new path or if we need to completely turn around. There will be times when it seems like God is quiet. Know that He is always there to guide you, even if the directions are to stay true to the path you are on. We simply need to listen and trust that God knows the map to our lives better than we do. So don’t forget to ask for directions every now and again. Step #3: Oratio / PrayThese questions are used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart. When I think about God's plan for me, how do I feel? Nervous? Excited? Anxious? Why does it make me feel this way? Do I trust God to lead me down the path? Do I hold anything back from Him? Why do I or why don't I trust Him? How can I turn to God to ask for directions? Step #4: Contemplatio / ContemplateIn this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord "Guide me Lord." "Jesus, I trust in you." "Not my will, but your will be done." Step #5: Actio / ActIn light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with Lord bear fruit in you today? Look at your life, you can actually draw a road map of your major life moments, and see where God has guided you. Thank Him for walking with you. Smartphone Lock ScreenThe following image is here for you to save and use as a background or lock screen on your smartphone or device to help you carry today's Lectio Divina with you the rest of the day.  Today's prayer was prepared by Kayla Essner, a high school Math teacher in Cape Girardeau, MO.
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