I was driving one day, coming back from sports practice with the girls. It was a road I wasn’t familiar with, so I was using my GPS. I followed the directions, listening carefully, until at one point I got lost in my thoughts.

The GPS gave the next instruction “Turn right” and I heard it. But I didn’t act on it.

The voice reached my ears but not my mind. I kept going straight.

By the time I realized it, I had already missed the turn.

When I got home, I thought about it again, and the Lord gently spoke to my heart: This is how you sometimes respond to Me.

You have the GPS on. You’re asking for direction. But when My voice comes, you’re distracted, your thoughts are too full, your focus elsewhere. You hear Me, but you don’t move.

How true that is. We often pray, “Lord, speak to me,” while our hearts are still caught up in the noise of our world. The busyness of life, our work, our problems; these sit at the forefront of our minds, drowning out His quiet guidance.

God’s voice isn’t absent; our attention is. He’s speaking, but we’re scrolling, worrying, or thinking about the next thing.

Just like a GPS, His voice is constant, faithful, and patient. But we still need to respond.

Sometimes the difference between reaching our destination peacefully or getting lost for a while isn’t whether He spoke, it’s whether we listened and obeyed.

Position yourself intentionally to hear His voice and to obey. Step away from anything that distracts your heart by deliberately choosing to spend time in His presence. And when you sense the gentle leading of God, do not delay in responding. Turn when He says turn.

Because His guidance doesn’t just lead to the right place, it leads to peace.

• What noise or habit distracts me when God is speaking?
• What attitude or discipline do I need to put in place to be able to hear His voice?
• Where is God calling me to “turn” right now?
• What step of obedience can I take today?