“Are you sure you want to spend 30 hours flying to New Zealand? It will be so boring!”

People can be so encouraging at times, and if we let it, doubt can easily sneak into our hearts. However I had already obtained tickets for my wife and I to celebrate our 25th anniversary in a country that my wife had dreamed of visiting for years, and nothing would discourage me from my goal of making this her best trip ever.

In addition, I knew from experience that if I depended solely on the One who guides me, he flight would be a breeze. And it most surely was!

While flying through Canadian airspace I was fascinated by the sun reflected off the great lakes, and I couldn’t resist spending time with my Maker in prayer, meditation and worship. I had my ipod with me, and with a smile on my face, I listened to and sang praise songs within my spirit. When we landed in Vancouver I was surprised how fast the time had passed. Wow!

The next leg of our trip would be even longer: The non-stop flight from Vancouver to Auckland, New Zealand. There again, I never got the chance to yawn even once. I found some cultural movies about New Zealand, and I learned about the Maori Indian culture as well as many fascinating facts about “Kiwis”, the pet term that New Zealanders use to identify themselves. The food on the airplane was excellent, and the sleep afterwards was heavenly. Although I am a light sleeper (Ask my wife) and any disturbance or noise wakes me up instantly, I never heard the chaos created by crying babies. I didn’t even hear the medical emergency that occurred in the row in front of me. I woke up refreshed and astonished that there had even been an emergency.

After breakfast and a great time with my Lord, we landed with the first sunrise of the day (New Zealand is the first country to greet the sun!).

Next we flew to Dunedin with a short stopover at Wellington, and during that time I felt the urge to develop the rough copies of potential devotionals. When we arrived at our destination, 30 hours later, I wondered if we had truly been traveling for 30 hours! It seemed like only a couple of hours had gone by!

We are all embarked on a trip of a life-time which sooner or later ends up with either a wake-up call in heaven or a realization that burned toast isn’t what is best for us after all. We have the choice to either be self-sufficient in all of our needs (It sure didn’t help my neighbour when his wife passed away, nor my friend who lost his job.) or rely on the one who is called “the Spirit of Truth” as well as our “guide” (See John 16:13).

One thing that happens when we accept God’s Spirit into our life, we truly experience utter freedom. Life is transformed into an exhilarating adventure, despite the myriads of troubles we face. The difference lies in His presence in our lives.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor 3:17 NIV)

Not only is God’s Spirit present in our neighbourhood, He takes lodging in our homes and even in us as well! We will never be alone any longer!

“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Eph 2:22 NIV)

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Cor 6:19-20 NIV)

Do you have troubles knowing how to pray? Rely on God’s Spirit: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (Rom 8:26-27 NIV)

Do you have difficulty witnessing? Depend on God’s Spirit: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Tim 1:7 NIV)

Do you need encouragement? Trust in God’s Spirit: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” ( Eph 3:16-17 NIV)

Are you haunted by a recurring addiction? Hang on to God’s Spirit: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor 3:17 NIV)

Do you doubt your salvation? Ask God’s Spirit: “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.” (Eph 1:13-14 NIV)

Are you unsure what to believe any longer? Have God’s Spirit guide you: “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13 NIV)

Would you like to have confirmation that Jesus lives in you? Enquire of God’s Spirit: “And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” (1 John 3:24 NIV)

Do you want to experience real excitement in your life? Get to know the One who made it all possible: “This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit.” (1 John 4:13)

Do you ever get bored? Maybe it’s time to find out how to get out of your rut. Again who will you depend on?

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “The Heart of the Matter” devotional series, please click here.)