The Holy Spirit Guides Us

The Holy Spirit guides us. We find an unusual example of this with Paul and his companions in Acts 16:6-7, they had been “kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.”

When my wife and I moved to Anchorage, Alaska in 2002 it was an especially difficult move for her. We were moving very far away from our children and grandchildren. We have always been a close-knit family, so being separated by such distance was particularly hard. Also, Alaska comes with its own unique set of challenges including long, dark winters and short, cool summers. So when I accepted the job in Anchorage, Linda graciously committed to staying up to five years. I agreed to these terms.

Both Linda and I would openly tell you that our time in Alaska was some of the best of our lives. But if you asked us how we liked living in Alaska, you would hear a very different reaction from each of us. I loved it—Linda endured it!

With the above as a backdrop for our situation, I was praying one morning about four-and-a-half years into our stay in Alaska. That morning I distinctly heard the Holy Spirit telling me that I needed to honor my commitment to my wife and begin to set things in motion to move back to the lower 48. When I told Linda what God had said to me, she threw her arms around my neck and cried. To her it was one of the most loving things I could have done. I was exceedingly grateful for the Holy Spirit’s guidance!

© Rob Fischer 2008