Pace Setter

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” – John 16:13, KJV

One day, while driving on the Atlanta expressway, I noticed one of the HERO trucks driving slowly on the road. It’s digital sign read, “Pace Vehicle—DO NOT PASS”. I noticed several cars aggressively hitting the brakes as not to fly pass the truck. Some drivers swerved from one lane to another as if to determinedly figure out a way to get around the Pace Vehicle. Some drivers slowed down with ease and followed directly behind the Pace Vehicle as if to respectfully obey and wait for the next instruction.

As I got off on my exit, I looked back and saw the Pace Vehicle continuing down the road, steadily doing its job. God reminded me of the “pace setting” power of the Holy Ghost in my life!

Many times, we want to rush out of the gate and run like the wind. Whether it is starting a business, completing school, studying the Word of God, getting married, starting a family, or even retiring, we sometimes try and rush the process to reach our desired end.

Imagine trying to complete a 2-year degree in two sessions by taking on an overwhelming course load simply because you want to rush to graduate. Your graduation means more to you than successfully going through each course and learning what you must in order to progress to the next.

This is the significance of the Holy Ghost. One of the many duties of the Holy Ghost is to lead. He leads and guides. He is in fact, our “pace setter”. When we try to rush the process, He slows us down. When we try to shortcut God’s system and find ourselves off track, He realigns us with God’s will.

The value of a Pace Setter is that it protects from potential harm. When you allow the Holy Ghost to lead and guide, you find out that He will protect you from dangers that could harm you.

The problem is that sometimes we don’t like the Holy Ghost being our “pace setter”. We ignore His leading and prompting. We figure our way is better. We go at the speed and pace we desire. We feel as though we’re going at a snail’s pace and that’s just too slow for our swift feet. As a result, we’re back at the throne of grace seeking God’s forgiveness and desiring to get back on the right course.

God’s timing is perfect. He knows the path He has set for you. He knows the date for each accomplishment. He knows the exact time you will reach each mile marker in your life. The Holy Ghost, your “pace setter” is there to steady you along the way. His reminder of “DO NOT PASS” keeps you in God’s will so that you won’t go to the left nor to the right.

Think on those times when you clearly saw how the Holy Ghost was setting your pace. Did you follow or swerve left and right to get around Him?

Share your experiences in the comments below!