Catherine Deals With a Failure

 Catherine Marshall told how the Holy Spirit used a failure of hers to teach her. One night when she was alone there came a loud knocking on the door close to midnight. She asked who it was and heard the voice of an acquaintance whose sister was dying of cancer.

She opened the door and the lady asked Catherine to drive her to pray at her sister's bedside. She had not telephoned the sick woman's husband to tell him of this nocturnal visit, so Catherine demurred, asking if she could go to the bedside the following day. Reluctantly, her visitor agreed and left.

But when they reached her sister the following morning, the sick woman had sunk into deep coma, and she died later that day. 

Catherine said the Spirit put His finger where it hurt: "Not enough flexibility or promptness in obeying Me. So you drive to another town in the middle of the night. Forget sleep. Forget your convenience. Even ignore certain amenities, as you see them. When I say, 'Go,' I'll take care of the amenities too."

Often our greatest regrets result from failing to seek Him in all things--especially when we think the answer is obvious. Satan tries to deceive us by making the wrong decision seem so correct that we don't need to ask for God's guidance. 

If we always lift our moments of perplexity to Him, we discover that He's willing to direct every detail of our lives. "In him we live and move and have our being."

Thank You, Lord, that we make no move, say no words, without Your being aware of it.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you" (Psalm 32:8).