"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 (NIV 1984)

Have you ever experienced a lack of peace that kept you from moving forward? I have. My husband and I were about to purchase our first home. After viewing several houses, we finally found a perfect fit. Or so we thought.

When closing day came, I couldn't bring myself to sign the papers. Although it was natural for us to be both excited and nervous about becoming new homeowners, I couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness. I asked to speak to my husband alone for a moment and discovered he had the same sick feeling in his stomach as I had in mine. We decided not to move forward.

This was a wise decision. A few short months later, my husband died from a tragic accident. Had we bought the home, I wouldn't have been able to pay the mortgage, plus support a new baby and myself on one income. That's when it dawned on me. Our lack of peace on closing day was the Holy Spirit guiding us toward the right decision.

You and I may not know our future, but God does. Through the Holy Spirit, God directs our steps by the presence of peace or lack of it.

Our heavenly helper works in our lives much like a referee does in a basketball game. As long as the players stay within the boundaries of the court, they are free to move about. But when there is trouble on the court or the ball goes out of bounds, the referee blows his whistle. The sound of the whistle stops the game until the referee restores order and puts the ball back into play.

Likewise, you and I have a heavenly referee—the Holy Spirit. When there is a lack of peace in your life, that's your signal to stop moving ahead. The Holy Spirit has blown the whistle and called for a time out to redirect your path.

Sometimes your ball gets kicked out of bounds by unexpected adversity. Other times, you can step out of bounds by giving into temptation and sin. In each of these circumstances, the Holy Spirit will blow the whistle to gain your attention.

If you and I are wise, we'll wait on our heavenly referee to restore our peace and put the "ball" back into play. That happens as we confess our sin, seek His face, and follow His instruction.

However the Spirit leads, it's important to note that stepping out of bounds doesn't mean God will call "game over." Our heavenly referee is always working to restore your life and mine.

I'm thankful my husband and I heeded the warning of the Holy Spirit and didn't purchase the house. In doing so, my son and I were spared undue stress and pain. I'm learning that the right path is always marked by peace.

Dear Lord, make my path clear and give me the courage to follow it. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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Related Resources:

Visit Micca's blog for more about the role of the Holy Spirit in your life.

In Micca Campbell's book, An Untroubled Heart, you'll discover God's remedy for freedom from fear.

Looking for a faith stronger than all your fear? It's not too late to join Micca's online bible study based on her book, A Untroubled Heart.

Is your life entangled with fear? Take Micca's free "Fear Factor" test to find out and also get her first chapter for FREE!

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Reflect and Respond:

Is the heavenly referee trying to get your attention by a lack of peace? Or is He giving you a green light through a calm sense of rightness?

Power Verses:

Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and He will make your paths straight." (NIV)

Psalm 25:12, "Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him."

© 2012 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.