Never Come Up Empty
God gives great directions. Not only that, they're dependable, flawless, and fruitful.
You may have heard this advice: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Prov. 3:5, 6). Direction from God is very dependable indeed. If you feel that you're traveling along aimlessly, or aren't living a productive life, then turning to God, who is Love and Mind, will bring the needed answers.
When we turn to God, we don't need to use special words or to be in a particular physical location. What is needed, really, is a desire to be close in thought to the Almighty, along with the mental discipline to silence whatever fearful, doubtful thoughts we might be having at the moment. Once we are quiet, and start thinking about the tremendous spiritual power greater than ourselves that is God, we will feel peace and calm.
Another step is to have the humility to follow the ideas that come after this peaceful silence.
"Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught," Jesus told some men who had been fishing all night without result (see Luke 5:1-11). After resisting, the disciple Simon said, "At thy word I will let down the net." Soon they had so many fish in their net that it broke! Perhaps they really needed to launch deep into the truth Jesus was showing them. Then they would find God's clear direction in their lives, which would result in knowing even where to drop that net.
"Man is tributary to God, Spirit, and to nothing else. God's being is infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss" (Mary Baker Eddy, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Pg. 481). We aren't alone. We are the exact image and likeness of God. This is the basis for knowing that we all have access to infallible wisdom each moment.
On those days when I'm just not getting answers, I find that a quiet moment in prayer, turning to God, can bring the guidance I need. God is closer than our next breath, and His wisdom is actually here right at this moment - in consciousness. That means that if we want to feel closer to God, that connection to Him is just one thought away!
God, who is infinite and all the intelligence in the universe, is as close as your own consciousness. In fact, God actually is the only Mind. So you can trust that you will be directed correctly, flawlessly, and consistently, just as the men were in the fishing story.
A few years ago my husband very much wanted to take a course of religious instruction. Although I wanted to be supportive, I was concerned because he would miss work during those weeks. We relied heavily on his earnings, and didn't have extra savings.
This was an opportunity for me to go deeper in my understanding - you might even say to "launch out into the deep." I listened to God during this time. When I felt afraid or negative, I tried to spend a few moments remembering how much God loved us, and how complete and certain His authority over every detail of our lives was. I'd also spend time just quietly listening for inspiration.
One day while I was riding in the car, feeling assured that God is real and the source of all good, it suddenly occurred to me to check a tax return I was about to file. At first this seemed silly, as I'd already gone over it more than once. But I decided to trust this idea and just check everything over again.
As it turned out, I'd overlooked an important detail; and I found we were entitled to quite a substantial refund - just about equivalent to what my husband would have earned for the period he'd be away from work. We received the refund just in time, as though there had never been an interruption in income. My husband was able to take his course. I guess you could say our nets were indeed full!
If something in life seems incomplete or unsatisfying, we can take a prayerful, mental stand, and wait for instructions from the Lord. Because He is all the Love there is, He would never intend for anyone to come up empty. And this you can trust, with all your heart.
