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 helps you to bless someone in need

A Mother’s Day Blessing
A devotional by Angela Anderson

“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”

–Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

My husband was on his way to go shopping for me because Mother’s Day was approaching.

Although he was not certain of what he would purchase, he knew what stores he wanted to visit in his quest for the perfect gift. As he was traveling down the road in his car, he realized that he did not have as much time as he thought—he would soon have to return home. Nonetheless, he felt the urge to visit a particular store that was not on his original list of locations to shop.

Once he was in the store, he started aimlessly walking through the aisles. In less than five minutes, he heard a quiet voice behind him: “Excuse me, Sir.”

He turned around and saw a lady standing in the middle of the aisle. As she approached my husband, he noticed that the lady had a robe and a pair of slippers in her hands. The lady started telling my husband about her mother who was now in a nursing home. The lady wanted to give the robe and slippers to her mother for Mother’s Day, but she did not have any money to purchase the items. She asked, “Can you please buy this robe and slippers for my mother?” My husband accepted the request. He walked with the lady to the register and paid for the gifts.

As my husband left the store empty-handed, he thought for a moment about what had just happened. He was not planning to go to that store. A matter of fact, he did not buy anything that he was looking for from that store. He also noticed that there were quite a few people in that store, even before he arrived. He was only there for about two minutes when the lady approached him and asked him to buy the gifts for her mother. He then knew that he was in that store for that purpose. Perhaps the lady had prayed, asking God to provide a way for her to give her mother a gift for Mother’s Day, especially now that her mother was in a nursing home. My husband was part of God’s plan of provision for the lady.

There are times in our lives when we may make plans, but God is the One who already has the agenda. We may not know why things happen in our lives, or why people come and go, but one thing is for sure: There is no such thing as a coincidence in the life of a Christian. Once you give God control of your life, that means you are willing to follow His plan for your life. Even when the plan does not seem to make sense, just trust that God is ordering your steps.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, we are so thankful for You! We acknowledge and thank You for Your presence in our lives. Open our hearts and our minds to receive Your Word and obey Your will. Help us to make ourselves available to be used in Your service. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Note from Alexis: Angela’s devotional message reminds me of the song “Your Steps Are Ordered” by Fred Hammond. Listen to it here.

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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/