09/03/2026
Jesus in the Wild
When God Spoke at the Crossroads
Several years ago, we took a group of youth on an adventure camp in northern Arizona.
While we were there, the other mentors and I would meet privately to talk through the day, pray for the kids, and ask the Lord what He might be leading us to teach. One of the mentors had really been feeling led to talk with the youth about words of knowledge, how the Holy Spirit can bring something to our hearts or minds that we could not have known on our own, so it can encourage, guide, or build up someone else.
But we had never talked about that subject around any of the youth.
One night, we were doing an exercise about listening to God and following the leading of the Holy Spirit when we need direction in life. One mentor carried a flashlight, while the rest of us followed the trail under the moonlight.
As we came to a crossroads in the trail, we stopped. There we were,out in the mountains, at night, with only the moon lighting the path ahead.
We talked about what a crossroads can look like in life. We could go back the way we came. We could turn right. We could turn left. Or we could keep going straight.
Everybody had an opinion. Some thought we should go back. Others thought we should go right or left. A few thought we should keep going straight. But the point was not really which trail we should take. The point was to teach the kids to stop, pray, listen, and ask God for direction.
While everyone was talking, one of the young men quietly said, “Words of knowledge.”
I immediately stopped the group and said, “Did anybody hear what he just said?”
Nobody had.
I looked at him and asked, “Can you say that again?”
He said it again: “Words of knowledge.”
I told the group, “The mentors have been praying and asking God whether this was something we should teach you. We have never talked about it around you. Yet, right here in the middle of the mountains, in the middle of the night, the Holy Spirit just spoke.”
It was one of those moments I will never forget.
God did not need a church building, a stage, or a perfect setting to get our attention. He met a group of young people on a trail in northern Arizona, under the moonlight, at a crossroads.
That is the kind of God we serve.
He still speaks. He still leads. He still meets us in the places where we are unsure which way to go. Sometimes His direction comes through Scripture. Sometimes through wise counsel. Sometimes through a quiet prompting in our spirit. And sometimes, He confirms what He is already doing through someone we least expect.
The important thing is that we slow down enough to listen.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105
Prayer:
Jesus, I do not always understand the trail I am on. Some days it feels too steep, too long, and too hard. Help me trust that You are with me in the middle of it, not just waiting for me at the end. Give me strength for the next step, courage when I am afraid, and peace when I cannot see what is ahead. Amen.
Maybe you are standing at a crossroads today. You may be trying to decide whether to move forward, turn in a different direction, wait, or go back.
Do not rush past the moment.
Stop. Pray. Open God’s Word. Listen for the Holy Spirit. God may not show you the entire trail, but He is faithful to give light for the next step.
Reflection:
Where are you needing God’s direction right now, and have you taken time to stop and listen?
