Oops. Yesterday’s little parable of the cell phone has a few holes. I was reminded that the cell phone does NOT always know!

Lubec, Maine, is in the Eastern time zone. But the little town sits on a finger of land jutting out into the Atlantic and is so close to Canada that it picks up signals from Canadian towers and displays Atlantic Time instead. 

Another interesting fact I’ve just learned: on most devices, it is possible to disable the feature that automatically changes displayed time.

Thus … The Cell Phone Does NOT Always Know.

But there are parallel spiritual lessons here as well: keep your connection alive and functioning, and make certain you’re tuned in to the right tower!

As a matter of fact, this is exactly what Isaiah says after God has warned him not to think like those around him. In the midst of Judah’s trouble, people were asking mediums and spirits of the dead for advice. Isaiah warns: 

Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness.

The wrong connection leads only to anguish and despair. That’s very clear.

If there is no tower or signal, a phone is useless. Without our connection to God through Christ, we are also useless. We can do nothing, Jesus said, if we are not connected to Him (John 15:5).

The connection He’s given us is the Holy Spirit, “who leads into all truth.” That Spirit of truth “will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

We remain in the Vine that produces bountifully, and the Spirit reminds us daily of Christ’s words in us and keeps on teaching us . . .

Yup, sounds like a good connection that will produce truth in our lives, will make adjustments to our attitudes so we can live according to God’s instructions, and will keep us from weariness, hunger, trouble, anguish, and dark despair.

Spirit, keep my connection strong.

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Scripture: Isaiah 8:20-22; John 14:17,26 (all NLT)