Devotionals for the Heart: Why we can trust God to guide us through life

Trust That God’s Leading the Way
A devotional by Alicia Searl

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”—Psalm 32:8 (NIV)

This morning I went on a walk all by my lonesome. It was wonderful. Don’t get me wrong—I enjoy walking with my pup, crew of kiddos, or my husband, but today, I needed it to be just me and God.

When I get the simple pleasure of going for a walk alone, God always meets me in the most beautiful ways. Today was no different, yet His approach was a little more unusual this time. Maybe because He knew I needed Him to meet me in this season with a bit of His firm love. Yes, the love that comes with conviction. Sigh.

The last few months have held both beauty and sorrow, but I will be the first to admit that I have fallen into some not-so-great habits. From binge watching shows late at night and escaping reality by immersing myself in the mindless scroll of social media to feeding my emotions with an entire bag of pretzels, let’s just say my body was telling me, “Enough is enough!”

Now to be fair, my kids have been home all summer, my hubby has been working most weekends, and our oldest daughter is about to leave for college. So, if my girl wants to watch a sappy rom-com at midnight with buttery popcorn, you better believe, I’m all in! In other words, I am going to pounce on that opportunity because time is of the essence. Yet, if I am being fully honest with myself, my momma heart has been weary, my mind completely overwhelmed, and my body continues to remind me of how old I am getting with every ache and pain, especially in the morning. Yet, this morning those body aches and pains prompted me to hit the pause button and forced me to shift my focus. It was time!

After a hurried and hasty rush out the door and getting back into a school routine, I finally got the chance to dive into God’s Word in my quiet home. It was utter bliss. Yet, what I found was that I was naturally reaching for my phone. Just a quick look led to an hour detour. Old habits are hard to break. Thankfully, God’s firm love met me with the conviction to put the phone down, pry myself off the coach, and step outside.

Honestly, I needed it more than I realized. The sun saturated my skin. The whisper of the trees calmed my soul. Then God softly touched my heart, reminding me to trust Him. So, I moved from my backyard around the house, to the street. I felt like God was telling me: Keep going. Take the next step, the next block. Go the extra mile. I listened. I obeyed. And I was recharged. As I took each step, I was blessed in that moment to experience God’s presence and His gentle response to the choices I had been making. Choices that I didn’t think were “all that bad” but surely didn’t honor God and put Him first.

In the Bible book of Psalm, King David is open and honest with his struggles and how his sinful choices that affected his walk with God. Yet, time and time again, we see how God met him right where He was and whispered for him to keep going because He was leading the way.

As people who believe in God, we can rest assured that we have a faithful Father who knows what is best for us and walks beside us, goes before us, and picks up the pieces behind us (Deuteronomy 31:8). That includes the times we fall into habits that may not be good for us. God always meets us with His gentle yet firm hand, reminding us that He calls us to live this life abundantly (John 10:10). When we do, we find this sweet place where hope meets healing.

Maybe you need to be reminded to press the pause button in your life and let God do a little spiritual realignment. Step out in faith today and see where God leads you. All you have to do is trust that His is guiding you and then be bold enough to take the first step.

Let’s Pray: Faithful Father, thank You for meeting us in all walks of life and bringing us sweet reminders of Your love. As we fall into patterns that pull us away from You, meet us with bold convictions and give us the space to humbly submit to Your will and way. Help us not to be swayed by worldly temptations and grant us the wisdom to heed Your instruction and follow Your truth. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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Song of Reflection #1: “First” by Lauren Daigle. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Walk by Faith” by Jeremy Camp. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: “The Sun is Rising” by Britt Nicole. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #4: “Lead Me Lord” by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir w/ Elizabeth Goodine. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Alicia Searl is a Christian author, writer, writing coach, and speaker who is passionate about sharing God’s Word to spread hope and healing. She has an educational background and a master’s degree in advanced literacy. 

Alicia is a contributing writer for iBelieve, Crosswalk, Christianity.com, and Your Daily Prayer. She has authored two devotionals, a children’s book of grief, and several Bible studies and prayer journals.

She enjoys helping new and aspiring writers follow their calling and pursue their God-given purpose and shares personal faith stories on her blog. Alicia’s heartfelt words and authenticity are portrayed in each of her literary pieces in hopes of bringing her readers a sense of understanding, comfort, and encouragement on their faith journey.

Alicia resides in Texas where her family is currently fixing up a tiny home in the Piney Woods in East Texas to spread hope, bring healing, and share God’s love with others.

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Connect with Alicia:
Email: alicia.searl@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Our Guide

When God is Your Guide
A devotional by Glynis Becker

“And the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night.”

–Exodus 13:21 (NASB)

I’m old enough to remember road trips taken with the help of a giant Rand McNally map, conveniently located in the large pocket on the back of the passenger’s seat. Every once in a while, Dad would have one of us kids grab the map, maneuver it over the seatback to Mom without hitting anyone in the head and have her figure out where we needed to turn or stop or simply ensure we were still on the right path.

I was not born with a great sense of direction and I’m not a particularly good navigator, even when I’m using a map. The emergence of navigation software has been a lifeline to me. I easily admit that I use it sometimes when I drive, even in a town I’ve lived in for more than thirty years. I need to know how to get where I want to go and I like that I don’t have to do all the work to think about the best way to get there.

One of the Bible’s most important stories is the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Sometimes we have a laugh at the expense of those Israelites in the desert, don’t we? I’ve seen cartoons with punchlines about how it was Moses’s wife who must have wanted to ask for directions and he refused, or the Israelites using an app that kept telling them to “re-route.” Those are funny, but the truth is there are a lot of lessons for all of us to learn in the wandering.

One thing we need to remember is to keep our eyes on Jesus. The Israelites were given a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide them in their travels. We may not have such physically visible guides in our lives today, but we have the Holy Spirit inside us to keep us on track. If we are conscious of listening to His promptings, take time for Bible study and worship, and intentionally pray for guidance, we will know which way to go.

Secondly, we always need to be on the lookout for milestones and divine interruptions. God knew exactly what He was doing when He led His people to Rephidim and there was no water (Exodus 17:1-7). By sending them to this place, when He might have led them somewhere else, He showed them His provision through the water He caused to pour from the rock. In that same chapter, the Israelites went to battle against the Amalekites. Through Moses and Joshua’s resolve and reliance on God, the Israelites won the battle and God proved in a visible way how He would fight for them and take care of them as they moved into the Promised Land.

In the New Testament, we see the same sort of interruptions. In John 4, Jesus and His disciples, who could have traveled from Judea to Galilee another way, decided to go through Samaria. That was no accident. How else would we have known about that beautiful moment when Jesus talks to a Samaritan woman and reveals Himself as the Messiah? What would that woman or the disciples have missed if Jesus had taken them on a more straightforward route instead?

We need to remember that instead of a map, we have a Guide (God) who doesn’t need a map to direct us to our ultimate destination (Heaven). We have a loving God who knows exactly where we need to go and when. He will set up roadblocks when we need them, and make straight paths when we need those, too. Maybe, when we think we’re wandering, Jesus is simply maneuvering us right where we need to be.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, my Guide, please help me to keep my eyes focused on You. Help me not be afraid or anxious when I don’t know where You’re taking me. Keep me close to You so that I won’t wander off the path you have set before me. You are good and have good things in store for me. I praise You for all You are. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Note from Alexis: Glynis Becker’s devotional message today reminds me of “Thy Word” (song) by Amy Grant. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume.

She has co-written several screenplays, including the film Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming.

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two college-age children.

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting.

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Connect with Glynis:
Website: www.glynisbecker.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckerglynis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlynisBecker7