Devotionals for the Heart: Why we should always follow God's Roadmap

Following God’s Roadmap Leads to His Greatest Blessings
A devotional by Sarah Cole

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.”—Exodus 13:21-22 (NIV)

My parents and I vacationed at campgrounds across the Midwest every summer.

After we packed up the station wagon and hooked up the camper, we hit the open road, playing car games along the way. With my father behind the wheel, we inevitably arrived in the middle of nowhere because he refused to stop for directions. If it weren’t for my mother’s exceptional navigation skills we wouldn’t have reached our destination.

I wish my mother were here now that I live in the middle of a busy shopping district. Wherever I go, traffic is always heavy and without GPS, I don’t get very far. The same is true of our spiritual lives: without God’s guidance, we will go in circles trying to navigate life alone. When we drive solo, thinking we know better, our merciful Father sees us headed in the wrong direction and keeps us from careening over the cliff of our good intentions.

In today’s anchor text (Exodus 13:21-22), we learn that after Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go, God instructed Moses to take them on a long route through the wilderness. The shorter route seemed more convenient to the Israelites, but God saw the dangers ahead. Therefore, He went before them, faithfully leading with pillars of cloud by day and fire by night.

This story reminds us that when the way forward is unclear, we can trust God to guide us, protect us, and equip us with everything we need for the journey.

The Bible warns us in Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV), “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Following God’s roadmap protects us from dangers only He can anticipate. But when we ignore it and go our own way, we suffer consequences that we could’ve avoided if we had relied on Him.

The road of life will lead us through hills and valleys. And we can’t avoid every obstacle that comes our way. But Jesus Christ is our traveling companion, and when we let Him take the wheel, He promises to lead us on a glorious adventure here on Earth that ends with eternity in His Presence someday in Heaven.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Father God,

When the pressures and stresses of life cause me to become sidetracked, I’m grateful that You patiently lead me back to You. As my Shepherd, I know I can always depend on Your perfect wisdom, love, and protection. Your Word is a light that keeps me on the path of abundance here on Earth, eventually leading to my eternal home in Heaven. Thank You, Lord! In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Psalm 23: Surely Goodness, Surely Mercy” by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Sarah Cole’s interest in writing began in grade school when her poem was published in the local paper. Since then, she has written for her college newspaper and two community newspapers where she wrote restaurant reviews and articles for their ‘best of’ spread. 

Her experience as an administrator in the marketing field gave her the opportunity to write ads for a local business journal.

After a 20-year detour and a three-year season of adversity, God reignited her passion to write. Two divine appointments later, the short story she wrote about her father appeared in the St. Paul Almanac, and a short story about her cocker spaniel Gigi was published in Mysterious Ways by Guideposts. She believes her adversity was worth the lessons God taught her.

Sarah's devotionals have been published in David C. Cook’s The Quiet Hour and Devotions, The Secret Place by Judson Press, and Pray a Word a Day by Guideposts. Her short story will be featured in an upcoming book, Too Amazing For Coincidence, also to be published by Guideposts. To this day, Sarah smiles, pinches herself and gives God all the glory.

When she's not writing, she's enjoying her hobbies that include dog sitting, watching cooking shows and taking day trips.

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Connect with Sarah:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smittyc65
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@SarahCo45835279
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.cole.52

Devotionals for the Heart: When God interrupts your life as you know it

When God Interrupts Our Plans
A devotional by Leslie Bake

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

—Acts 8:30-31 (NIV)

How many of us appreciate interruptions?

It depends on the day, our patience level, what we’re trying to get done or put off. Some of us create a structured schedule with every hour planned while others don’t mind more flexibility and spontaneity. If you’re like me, you prefer a balance of structure and freedom.

Sometimes the interruptions take the form of detours and delays, like road closures, and it’s difficult to stay calm while our GPS re-routes to what feels like the “long way” to arrive at our destination.

God wants us to be ready and available for His “interruptions” from what we might consider our productive and important work. We need to obey as the Holy Spirit redirects our plans. It’s part of the surrendering process. The key is in recognizing the interruptions and responding not in frustration, but in humble submission. But anger or fear can get the best of us if we are consumed with our own agendas. Don’t mistake an interruption from a distraction. Distractions are not from the Lord and tempt us away from where we know our focus needs to be.

Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is interrupted from her simple peasant life when the angel of the Lord appeared to announce her forthcoming pregnancy (Luke 1:26-56). Interruptions can be upsetting and bewildering when we think we are already doing what we believe the Lord has called us to do. We’re on schedule. Everything is going as planned until the Lord interrupts us and changes our whole life like He did for Saul on his way to Damascus. Read about it in Acts 9.

Let’s delve a little deeper into Scripture, focusing on Acts 8:26-40. During the first century A.D., persecution against followers of Jesus Christ scattered the apostles and other believers away from Jerusalem. This interruption of their every day life was the beginning of the Christ-followers beginning to witness to people about Jesus “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In one case, Philip developed a successful preaching ministry to great crowds in Samaria, but the Holy Spirit interrupted this gig and told him to go to Ethiopia. It’s not exactly a hop skip and a jump away. Ethiopia is located several miles south of Samaria and probably the last place Philip expected to go, but he obeyed God and traveled to this destination on what may have been a hot, uncomfortable desert road.

During his journey to Ethiopia, Philip encountered an Ethiopian eunuch in a chariot. The Holy Spirit prompted Philip to approach the eunuch, who was reading the Bible book of Isaiah. The eunuch was frustrated because he didn’t understand what he was reading. Let’s read what happens next in Acts 8:30-31…

“Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

It was the perfect setup for Philip to share the gospel. When we share the gospel, we should start where the other person’s concerns are focused. Then we can show how God’s Word applies to those concerns. What lesson can we learn from all of this? Follow God’s lead, even if seems inconvenient and feels like a delay or a demotion. At first we may not understand why, and maybe we never will, but we must trust that God’s plan will have the greatest kingdom impact.

As a Bible Study Fellowship small group leader, I must monitor 45 minutes of time together on Tuesday mornings for our discussion. The children’s program is active during this time so that moms can enjoy adult fellowship, but most littles are anxious to re-unite with moms, so moms are encouraged to leave immediately to pick up their kids. This particular year, my kids are in a public school, so I myself don’t need to rush off. This was a blessing one Tuesday morning when a new, elderly group member was assigned to me. Instead of leaving with everyone else right at 11 o’clock as I normally do, the Holy Spirit told me to stay with my new member and help her make the appropriate adjustments on her phone so that I could contact her. Half an hour later, she was set up on my group contact app and appreciative.

Interruptions are not setbacks, failures or delays, but a re-direction of our time and energy. Think of them as a nudge from God to forsake our agendas and joyfully surrender to His. Giving up our own expectations and control does not come easy. Neither does self-denial, yet life presents no higher calling than giving up our agendas for the Lord’s.

Let’s Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, help me recognize when You are re-directing my plans and expectations for teaching me something new and furthering your Kingdom. Help me surrender my agenda to You and remain sensitive to your promptings of where to go and what to do. Forgive me for those times when I have deliberately ignored you out of fear or frustration. You were sovereign then and You are sovereign now. Thank you that no amount of my sin ever blocks your plans for my life and for those around me. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song for Reflection: “I Know the Plans (Audrey’s Song)” by Damaris. Listen here.

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Author Bio:

Leslie Bake grew up Lutheran in Des Moines, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an undergraduate degree in English, and with a new understanding of what a relationship with the Lord could look like.

She spent a few years reporting and editing in small town journalism and then began a master’s degree at Iowa State University in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Then marriage. Then a divorce, which deepened her relationship with God and transformed her life.

She taught ELL for three years at Kansas State University, then returned to writing and earned a master’s degree in creative non-fiction in Pittsburgh. Her memoir will eventually be published, and it details the process of how the Lord created beauty from the ashes of divorce. 

Pittsburgh is also where she met and married her second husband. They are now the parents of two wonderful children, one in fourth grade and one in kindergarten, and they make their home in West Des Moines.

She now maintains a monthly blog and is working toward expanding her writing ministry. Her heart’s deepest desire is to help others connect with God through writing.

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Connect with Leslie:
Website: https://lesliejoybake.com/
Substack: lesliebake.substack.com
Email: Leslie.bake@ yahoo.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Waiting on God to answer your prayers

Are We There Yet?
A devotional by Angela Anderson

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.” –Isaiah 55:9 (NIV)

“Are we there yet?”

My 9-year-old son broke the silence of a three-hour drive to visit family.

As we stopped at a traffic light, he projected his voice so that it was audible over the background music playing softly in the car. His wide eyes were filled with expectancy.

He was trying to read the GPS that was suspended from the middle interior of the windshield. He was happy to learn that there were only six minutes remaining for the trip, but he was also perplexed. We had made that drive a few times in the past, but this time he did not recognize his surroundings. Everything outside the car window looked unfamiliar. He did not realize that we were directed to take a different route this time. The GPS indicated that we were almost there. But from his perspective, the destination was nowhere in sight.

It reminded me of the times when I prayed to God about various situations.

Sometimes God answered how I expected, and other times He chose to take me in an unfamiliar direction to get to my destination. Many times, I asked God, “Are we there yet?”

I felt like the path where He was leading was not the right way. I thought I knew the course, based on my previous experiences with Him. Although the destination was the same, His path to get there was entirely different, and it was so much better. Sometimes instead of just trusting God in His infinite wisdom, I try so hard to figure Him out. I can almost hear God speaking to me, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

The ways of Almighty God can never be predicted. They are above and beyond what we can ever imagine. When life seems to be taking us in one direction, remember that God is in control. No matter how He chooses to lead, He always has our best interest at heart. Even when we cannot recognize our surroundings, God sees the road ahead, and His way is always the best way.

Let’s Pray: Father God, Thank you for Your divine guidance. We know that our ways are not Your ways, and we give You control over our plans. Even when we cannot see You or feel You, help us to trust You in all things. We place our lives in Your hands. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Angela Anderson was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in NJ. She found her love for writing when she was in elementary school. She continued writing through high school, college, and into adulthood. 

Angela is the author of a devotional book titled, Just When I Thought I Knew God, and a children's book that is not yet published.

In 2021, Angela started writing articles for an online magazine called Christian Women Living, where she focuses on writing messages for mothers and sharing advice on parenting. In addition to this, Angela wrote a devotional that is featured in a book published by Proverbs 31 Ministries. The book title is Hope When Your Heart is Heavy.

Angela has a passion for inspiring and impacting others through her writing as well as speaking. She is the co-founder of Anchor Moms, a ministry to cure loneliness in Motherhood. Currently, this ministry meets via a group on Facebook.

Angela has been married to the love of her life, Duane Anderson, for 17 years. Together, they have two sons: Thomas (age 9) and Ryan (age 4). Angela’s favorite pastime is journaling, and she also enjoys spending quality time with her family. Her personal mission is to empower others to achieve their goals and dreams.

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Connect with Angela:
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/angela.thomasanderson
Facebook fan page for her devotional book, Just When I Thought I Knew God:
https://www.facebook.com/jwitikg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelanderson1104/

Devotionals for the Heart: Detours

Unplanned Detours
A devotional by Kay Pflueger

“I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, I will give counsel.”

— Psalm 32:8 (CSB)

A detour, according to the Merriam-Webster, is defined as “a deviation from a direct course or the usual procedure, especially: a roundabout way temporarily replacing part of a route.”

What is the first thing you think of when you read the words “Detour Ahead” on a road sign? Are you excited or do you inwardly groan and start to worry that you will be late for an appointment or an important meeting? My first thoughts are usually, “How far out of my way is this going to take me?” As inconvenient as they may be, those unplanned detours are usually meant to protect us from potential hazards in the road ahead of us.

I am the queen of planning ahead. I write lists and sometimes it feels as though I need a list to keep track of my lists! Being prepared gives me a sense of control. As a child, I remember the glove box of our car being filled with folded paper maps and then in later years, a Thomas Brothers Guide took their place. Like my lists, they were guides that showed us how to reach our destination. Now we rely on GPS or Google Maps to point us in the right direction.

Detours tend to throw that “planning ahead” mentality right out the window, don’t they? I am reminded of the saying, “Life is what happens when you are making other plans.” Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” God has a plan for our lives and sometimes He needs to send us on what may seem like a detour to accomplish those plans.

2020 was a year of unplanned paths in my life—detours into widowhood and unemployment came at me with no road signs to warn me of their arrival. I was thrust onto messy and uneven roads without Google Maps to help me find my way. Through tears and prayers, I have learned to rely on what I call my GPS (God’s Piloting System) to travel those roads. I do not know why God chose these paths for me, but I am trying to trust in His infinite wisdom and His knowledge as to where these paths will lead.

Not all detours, though, are ones that God has set before us. When we take matters into our own hands, we may take detours that lead us into that “valley of the shadow of death.” How many times has the voice of your car’s GPS system said “recalculating” when you take a wrong turn? I wonder if God doesn’t shake His head and mutter the same word when we stray off the way He has set for us.

We usually expect detours to take us onto a new path from the road we are traveling, but then circle back to the original route so we can continue our journey. But occasionally, those detours take us in a whole different direction and lead us to places we did not expect to go but are an exciting and serendipitous adventure. My sisters and I took a road trip in 2008 on the old Route 66 and a few times we ended up detouring through rural parts of the country on old bumpy roads. Those were some of the most fun parts of the trip that were not included in our guidebook and in looking back, though not planned, added such memorable elements to the journey.

What have the detours in my life taught me? I am learning that no matter how inconvenient a detour may be, I will end up where God wants me to be—even if I do not think I want to be there. It is comforting to realize that God has a purpose for everything in my life and those detours are part of the plan for me to achieve that purpose.

Instead of grumbling and griping about those detours as they come along, what if we choose to face those long ways around with an attitude of learning and with re-adjusting our GPS? Think of what we might discover!

Let’s Pray: Father God, help us to be open to where you want us to go. You have plans for our lives that are much larger and more wonderful than anything we could have for ourselves. Open our minds to accept the detours you may have for us. Move us where we need to be so we can glorify you in all we do. In Jesus’s Name we pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Learning to read as a young child opened a world of adventure for Kay Pflueger. She came to realize that words can have a unique power and beauty.

Choosing to share those words in her devotional writings has become a joyful and rewarding experience for her. As a widow, she feels a special affinity towards those who are grieving or experiencing loss.

When she is not spending time with her married son and three grandchildren, she is either reading, cooking, writing, or working on pursuing her Copyediting Certification.

Kay is an avid baseball fan who looks forward every summer to following her favorite team, the Chicago Cubs.

She is an active member of Victory Lutheran Church in her hometown of San Diego, California.

Kay enjoys writing devotions to be shared on her church’s website and personal social media.

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Connect with Kay:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kay.m.pflueger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irishsweetpea/