Lost In Portsmouth

Have you ever felt lost—even while doing your best to find your way?

In this episode of Wilder Whispers, a wrong turn on a dark road in Portsmouth, Ohio becomes a gentle reminder that we all lose our sense of direction at times. But even when we don’t know where we are, God does. And when we cry out to Him, He knows how to lead wandering hearts to places where they can hear His voice again.

Scripture:

Isaiah 53:6

Psalm 107

Isaiah 30:21

Listen closely:

The God who knows where you are still knows the way forward.

#WilderWhispers #ChristianPodcast #Faith #ChristianEncouragement #BibleStudy #Psalm107 #Isaiah53 #Isaiah3021 #TrustGod #ChristianLiving #SpiritualGrowth #HopeInGod #JesusChrist

Thanks for spending this time with me on Wilder Whispers.

Whispers are the language of closeness. They invite us to slow down, lean in, and listen.

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Until next time--keep listening

This is Wilder Whispers. I'm Shā Wooden.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hey friend, welcome to Wilder Whispers, a space where we slow down and listen for God's voice in the ordinary moments of life. I'm Shay Wooden, and I'm so glad you're here. We often expect God to speak through big moments, a sermon, a breakthrough, a perfectly quiet prayer time, and he does, but so often he chooses quieter ways, in the middle of everyday life, in the unnoticed moments, in gentle whispers that invite us closer. Each episode, I'll share one simple story and the quiet truth God revealed through it, not because it was extraordinary, but because he was present. So wherever you are right now, take a breath, let's slow down, and listen together. There are seasons in life when we feel certain of where we're going. And then there are seasons when we don't. A wrong turn, an unexpected detour, a disappointment we never saw coming. Suddenly the road looks unfamiliar. The landmarks we expected to see never appear. And we find ourselves asking questions we never thought we'd ask. How did I get here? How did I end up so far from where I thought I'd be? Maybe you felt that way spiritually. Maybe you felt disoriented, uncertain, or even lost. The beautiful thing about our journey with God is this: even when we lose our sense of direction, he never loses sight of us. A few years ago I found myself on a dark road in Portsmouth, Ohio, and what began as a simple wrong turn became a gentle reminder of a much deeper truth. I was visiting some relatives a few years ago. When I left their house to head to my hotel, I knew exactly what I was supposed to do. I should have turned right and then turned left. But instead I turned left first. One wrong turn. At first, I didn't realize I had made a mistake. All of the roads out there were dark, so nothing immediately seemed out of place. I just kept driving, looking for the landmark I knew I was supposed to see. But it never came. I kept thinking maybe it's just a little further down the road. Then a little further. And then a little further. And before long I realized I had no idea where I was. I remember praying, Lord, I'm lost. Please help me find my way. I picked up my phone to check the map, but I had no cell signal. The map in my car wouldn't load either. I was on a dark, two-lane country road with no sense of direction and no way to figure out where I needed to go. Eventually I ended up back on the right road, though I didn't realize it at first because everything looked different in the dark. And then I passed the church. I pulled into the parking lot, and when I looked down at my phone, I noticed I finally had a signal. I typed in the address of my hotel and the map loaded. And then I realized something. The church parking lot where I had stopped was literally within walking distance of my cousin's house. I hadn't traveled nearly as far as I thought I had. I had made a wrong turn, and it had certainly delayed my trip to the hotel. I still had about 45 minutes left to drive, but the wrong turn hadn't kept me from my destination. I just needed someone to show me the way again. And sitting there in that church parking lot, I couldn't help but think about how often life feels that way. The darkness had made me feel much further away than I really was. And as I sat there in that church parking lot watching the directions load on my phone, I sensed the Holy Spirit whisper, The Father's house still points the way home. As I thought about that wrong turn, I was reminded of something Isaiah wrote. We have turned everyone to his own way. That's in Isaiah 53 and 6. I love the honesty of that verse. Isaiah doesn't say that some people wander, he says all of us do. Every one of us knows what it's like to take a wrong turn. I didn't get lost because I made ten wrong turns, I made one. I turned left when I should have turned right, and before long I found myself somewhere I never intended to be. Isn't that often how it happens in life? A conversation we shouldn't have had, a decision we shouldn't have made, a distraction that slowly pulled our attention away. A season where we stopped paying attention to God's direction. And one day we look around and wonder, how did I get here? The truth is none of us are immune to wandering. This why Isaiah says all we like sheep have gone astray. The good news is that taking a wrong turn doesn't mean you're beyond finding your way again. But the wrong turn wasn't what made me feel lost. It was the darkness that followed. All of the roads were dark. I couldn't see the landmark I was looking for, and after a while I wasn't even sure where I was anymore. The darkness made me feel much further away than I really was. Psalms one hundred o seven speaks of those who sat in darkness in deepest gloom. I think all of us have experienced seasons like that. Not necessarily physical darkness, but seasons where we can't see clearly. Seasons of grief, discouragement, confusion, disappointment, weariness. And when we're in those dark places, it's easy to lose our perspective. The darkness starts telling us things that aren't true. Like you're all alone, or you've wandered too far. Maybe you've made too many mistakes. There's no way back. And I wonder how many of us feel that way spiritually. We've let the darkness convince us that we're far from God, when in reality He's much nearer than we think. The darkness may make us feel lost, but feelings don't always tell the whole truth. By the time I realized I was lost, I had exhausted my options. I had no idea where I was or how to get where I needed to go. So I did the only thing I knew to do. I prayed. Father, I'm lost. Please direct me. And that's when I realized something. Throughout Scripture, people often find God when they've come to the end of themselves. Not the church parking lot, not the signal, the prayer. Because up until that moment I was still trying to figure it out on my own. Psalm 107 repeats the same phrase three different times. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble. I love that. The people in Psalm one hundred o seven found themselves in all kinds of situations, wandering, sitting in darkness, caught in storms. But the turning point in every story was the same. They cried out to the Lord. I think sometimes God allows us to come to the end of ourselves so we'll finally look up. So we'll finally admit, I don't know the way. I can't fix this. I need help. There's something powerful about reaching the place where we stop relying on our own understanding and begin crying out to God. I wasn't rescued because I was a good navigator. I was rescued because I cried out for help. And maybe that's where some of us are today. We've been trying to figure everything out on our own, trying to navigate the dark, trying to find our own way. But perhaps the next step isn't trying harder. Perhaps it's simply admitting that we need his direction. Because the people in Psalm one o seven discovered something beautiful. When they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, he answered. One of my favorite promises in Scripture is found in Isaiah thirty twenty one. And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, This is the way, walk in it. I love that God doesn't simply tell us to find our own way. He promises to lead us. That night in Portsmouth I prayed, I'm lost. Direct me. And a few minutes later I found myself pulling into a church parking lot, and for the first time since I left my cousin's house, I had a cell signal. The map loaded, the directions appeared. I finally knew which way to go. I don't think that was an accident. The church didn't save me, Jesus does that. But God led me to a place where I could receive direction again. And I think that's what he still does for his children. When we lose our way, God knows how to bring wandering hearts to places where they can hear his voice again. Because when you're lost, you don't just need more information. You need direction. You need someone who knows the way. And that's exactly what God promises in Isaiah. This is the way. Walk in it. I think that's the kindness of God. He doesn't abandon us on dark roads. He doesn't shame us for taking a wrong turn. He leads us to places where we can hear his voice again. And when we do, we discover that he has been speaking all along. This is the way. Walk in it. I wonder if the hardest words to say sometimes are these. I'm lost. Not physically, but spiritually, emotionally, mentally, relationally. Some of us have been driving in circles for a long time, pretending we know where we're going. We become good at functioning while feeling disoriented. We become good at looking like we have it all together while quietly wondering, how did I get here? Where have you lost your sense of direction? And have you been honest enough to admit that you need God's direction? We've become good at functioning while feeling disoriented. Good at looking like we have it all together while quietly wondering, how did I get here? So where have you lost your sense of direction? And have you been honest enough to admit that you need God's direction? Maybe today is your church parking lot moment. Maybe you've been trying to figure things out on your own for a long time. Maybe you've been driving in circles spiritually, emotionally, or relationally. You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need to know the entire road ahead. You simply need to be honest. Father, I'm lost. Would you please direct me? Because when we humble ourselves and cry out to him, he's faithful to lead us. The first step toward finding your way again may simply be admitting that you've lost your way. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that when we lose our way, you never lose sight of us. Thank you that there is no dark road, no confusing season, and no place of wandering where your presence cannot find us. Father, some of us feel disoriented today. Life hasn't gone the way we've expected. We've taken wrong turns and we're not even sure how we got here. We've been trying to figure things out on our own, carrying burdens and questions we don't know how to answer. Today, we simply come to you and admit that we need your direction. Would you quiet every other voice and help us hear yours? Would you give us the courage to stop striving and the humility to ask for help? Your word says this is the way. Walk in it. So, Father, would you lead us? Would you show us the next step? Would you restore our sense of direction? Bring wandering hearts to places where we can hear your voice once again. And remind us that we are never so lost that you don't know exactly where we are. Thank you for being the God who guides, the God who leads, and the God who never abandons his children on dark roads. We trust you with the road ahead. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. I eventually made it to my hotel that night. The wrong turn delayed my journey, but it didn't keep me from my destination. And when I look back on that evening, I realized something else. I wasn't nearly as far away as I thought I was. I just couldn't see clearly in the dark. Maybe that's true for some of us today. The darkness has convinced us that we're far from God, that we've wandered too far, or that we've missed our way completely. But perhaps we're closer than we think. Perhaps the Father is nearer than we realize. Perhaps he's already leading us toward the very place where we'll hear his voice again. And today's whisper to carry with you is this you're closer than you think. Thanks for spending this time with me on Wilder Whispers. I hope today's story reminded you that God is closer than we often realize and that he's still speaking, even in the ordinary moments of life. Whispers are the language of closeness. They invite us to lean in. As you go about your day, whether you're working, resting, driving, or just trying to catch your breath, stay attentive. God is not far away. He's not silent, he's near, and he's speaking. Until next time, keep listening. This is Wilder Whispers, and I'm Shay Wooden.