Devotionals for the Heart: Why you should let God lead you through life

When You Let God Lead
A devotional by Hannah Benson

“Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.”—Psalm 77:19 (ESV)

Have you ever wondered what God is doing in your life? No? Me neither.

Just kidding. In all seriousness, I think it’s safe to assume that at some point in your life, you’ve wondered why God didn’t open that door, why God gave someone else that blessing, or why He took away what He did.

Believe me. I’ve been there. Sometimes, God reveals to us the end result, and we feel Him calling us in a certain direction. But other times, we have no clue what He’s doing. In either case, usually, the path is unclear even if the destination isn’t.

As humans, we dream, we have plans, and we have certain expectations. But when God takes us in a different direction than we wanted and leads us down another road, we start to panic. We start to believe that things aren’t going as they “should’ve”, and we start to feel like we are losing control.

Friend, we were never meant to have control over our lives. I believe God wants us to dream, but ultimately, He’s the One Who knows the way we should go. He doesn’t make mistakes. God isn’t going to mislead us anywhere.

Do we know that? Head knowledge, sure. But do we deep down in our hearts know that and accept it? This doesn’t mean that the path is going to be easy and straight. In fact, it’s not. Jesus says in Matthew 7:14 (ESV), “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Now, that might sound discouraging, but hold on. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20b (ESV), “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus has promised that no matter what we go through, He is there! He is walking with us and will never leave us.

But what about the times when we are grieving? What about when things are so difficult that we can’t feel Jesus with us? You know what I’m talking about. Maybe you are there right now.

What about the times when you feel so alone and heartbroken, with an unexplainable hurt that it makes your chest ache?

When you are suffering and surrounded by darkness, remember these words in Psalm 77:19: “Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.”

Seas can be tumultuous. They can be deadly. When I think of great waters, I think of the expansive ocean that stretches as far as the eye can see with no end in sight. I think of waves in a storm, crashing violently against the shore.

God’s way for us is not strolling on the shore, with sand between our toes, while we collect seashells.

God’s way is “through the sea.”

His path is “through the great waters.”

We can take comfort in the fact that God won’t take us where He Himself will not go. He has gone before us, He will go with us, and He will be there after us. Just because we can’t see Him doesn’t mean He isn’t there. And just because we can’t feel Him doesn’t mean He isn’t there walking on the water beside us.

It could be that His footprints are unseen.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Father God, I know You love me and will never leave me. Help me to believe that not just with my head but with my heart. When I go through times of deep sorrow, help me to remember that You are there with me. You have a good plan for me that will be fulfilled in your timing. I trust that You are there even when I can’t see You. Thank You for going before me and for calling me to follow You. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” by Hillsong UNITED - Live in Israel. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Hannah Benson is a Jesus-follower who’s passionate about sharing the love of Christ with others. 

From the time she could hold a pen, she was writing. But it wasn’t until she was sixteen that she began to seriously follow God’s calling to write a novel. Hannah is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has at least four novels in the works. For the past five years, she has been involved with her local Biblical theater company. She wants to show others the love of Jesus through the creative arts.

When she’s not acting or working on her upcoming novel, you can find Hannah laughing with her siblings, cuddling her little fluffy dog, or reading books (usually historical fiction or fantasy stories). You can read more of Hannah’s writings on her blog or on her Instagram where she strives to write content that leaves others feeling encouraged.

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Connect with Hannah:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahlynnauthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Hannah-Lynn-Writer/100073790792576/
Blog: www.loveunconditional.blog