Follow the Buoy Lights

Up among the border lakes, between the United States and Canada, are great wild woodlands reached only by water. It is a wide and wonderful territory. Hundreds of years ago, voyagers plied their trade with light canoes, bringing furs from the northland.
When I was a boy, my father brought me to these water trails. In kayaks, we paddled across scenic lakes and winding rivers. At night, we enjoyed the brilliant light of the moon shining across the bays, inlets and streams, guiding us along our way. But there were times without the moon, and even the stars were blotted out by clouds. Then it was difficult to find our way through the darkness.
I remember a very difficult channel that led from one lake to another through a narrow passageway. It would have been impossible to go through the channel without striking rocks if it were not for the five guiding buoy lights that had been placed by those who went before us. To find the channel, it was necessary to get into a position where all the lights would be in a straight line. So we followed through until we came out the other side of the dangerous passage, safely reaching our camping spot.

– Joe Coughlin

Light 1: Scripture

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.

Is there anything in God’s Word that would indicate that this is wise and good or dishonoring and sinful?

Light 2: Personal Peace When Praying

Philippians 4:6-7

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The bold truth is that if given enough time, I can rationalize just about anything in my mind. But when I’m in committed and earnest prayer with the Lord, it’s difficult for me to do that. Sometimes in my time of prayer, my soul feels unsettled, like swirling snow in a shaken globe. However, there are times prayer that usher in a peaceful presence regarding a decision, like when all the snow eventually settles to the bottom of the snow globe.

Light 3: Wise Counsel From Other Believers

Proverbs 15:22

Without counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.

God gives us the gift of the church. This includes wise, committed followers of Jesus in community. We see throughout the Scriptures that God speaks to others and through others about his purposes. Seeking out wise counsel of a handful of people who love the Lord and want what’s best for us—and looking for themes, trends or common threads that run throughout—can be wise.

Light 4: Wise Thinking

1 Peter 1:13

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

God gave us a brain, and he wants us to use it. One of the ways that we love God with all of our minds is by thinking wisely and critically about issues. Sometimes, for example, that involves making a list of pros and cons to consider all the options. We need to trust God’s promise that he not only wants to give us wisdom if we ask, but also that he will do it faultlessly and generously.

Light 5: Providential Circumstances

Revelation 3:7-8

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

God intervenes and works in the everyday situations of humans. God’s already-at-work-behind-the-scenes grace and timing are perfect—and sometimes can almost feel eerie. Some may see coincidences, but what if they were hints, shadows or promptings of God’s presence in our lives?

When these five lights begin to line up in a relatively straight line, we can move forward with confidence believing there is a passageway from which we can travel through. Conversely, if the lights are zigzagged, we should feel less confident that this is God’s purpose for our lives.

A word of caution: don’t rely too heavily on only one or two lights. Some people find a verse to support just about anything that they want; others can have “peace” about anything or find counsel to tell them what they want to hear. Certainly, this is not a surefire equation; nor is it five easy steps to knowing God’s will. But together these runway lights can be a tool to help us lean in further toward the heart of God.

And remember the importance of waiting for God’s timing.

Hebrews 10:36

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

The right thing done the wrong way can easily become the wrong thing. The more these lights line up in the same direction, the more confident we can be that God is leading us in this direction—but ultimately we must wait for clearance to paddling through the channel.