Exodus 13:20-22
After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 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.
God was everything that Israel needed in the desert. By day He was a pillar of cloud to shield them from the desert sun. By night He was a pillar of blazing fire to warm them in the cold night air. But even more than that – night or day – they could see God clearly and follow the path He was marking out for them.
God will go before us in our lives as well, if we let Him. Our job is to look for the signs of His guidance. He wants to make the path clear before us. Even when we go through dark times – when it seems that we can’t go on, He will make a way for us to come through victoriously.
As drivers, many of us put our complete trust in the GPS receiver on our dashboards. We will turn any direction it tells us to go. If only we would follow God’s Word the same way, we would have a life that was truly worth living.
Turn your path over to God today. Let Him be your daily guide. Enter into the freedom that comes from knowing that the road ahead has already been mapped out. Commit yourself to following after the only true Guide of our souls.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, direction, disciple, encouragement, freedom, God's faithfulness, God's leading, God's will, GPS, guidance, guide, Holy Spirit, path, prayer, presence of the lord, victory
Luke 1:76-80
“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins… to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.
This Scripture concerns the ministry of John the Baptist, who was to be the forerunner of the Messiah. It is interesting to note that John lived in the wilderness for years in preparation for his public ministry. One of the things that was spoken of him in this text is that he would “guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Being a guide assumes that you have walked the path already. John must have learned many lessons as he spent time in the wilderness, alone with God. These needed to be in place within his life before he ever spoke to the crowds. God seems to do the best work on our hearts in the private, intimate times that we have with Him.
It is important that we take the time to get into that private “prayer closet” with the Lord. You need to be looking forward to these times as great learning experiences. We need to spend time with Him away from all the distractions and commitments that are constantly crying out for our attention. As you look back, you will find that the lessons learned and the inner growth accomplished have made your time in the presence of God far richer and rewarding than it would have been otherwise.
As you go before the Lord this day, thank Him for the experiences that are still ahead of you on your walk with Him. Let the Lord know your willingness to be a guide to those who are coming behind you on the spiritual journey.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, disciple, distractions, encouragement, God's will, guide, Holy Spirit, inner growth, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, overcoming, path, prayer, prayer closet, prepare, presence of the lord, private times, public ministry, spiritual journey, testimony
Revelation 7:17
“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
This is one of the most interesting Scriptures. The Lamb who is also a Shepherd. What a great illustration of the Christ who took on our weaknesses. He is worthy to lead us, since He has walked where we live.
Christ is our perfect Shepherd. He knows the paths of our lives. He understands the best route to take. He knows when our soul needs rest, refreshment, and nourishment. We must learn to trust Him daily for our every need. We must trust His plan for our lives if we want fulfillment.
I want my life to count for something. Only under the guidance of the “Good Shepherd” will that come to pass.
If I follow the Lord’s plan for my life, then He will lead me to the right places along the way. Yes, sometimes the road will be difficult. But He also knows the rest stops as well. He will bring us to places of refreshment and restoration that we need if we are to make it to the end.
I must learn to trust in His plan for my life. He knows the way a lot better than I do. Once I can acknowledge that, life gets so much more fulfilling.
Whether you have in the past or not – place your life at Jesus’ feet today. Let Him work it out to His glory. Put your expectation in Him to bring you to your destiny.
Tags: Bible, Christ, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, fellowship, God's faithfulness, good shepherd, guidance, Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, path, presence of the lord, protection, trust
Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
About a year ago, I bought my wife a GPS unit to help her get around. It is amazing to think that there are satellites circling the earth that can pinpoint your location to within a couple of feet.
She used to always call me when she was lost and needing directions. Now, by using the unit, she always knows where she is and how to get where she is going to. She even knows how long it will take to get there.
It is comforting to know that thousands of years before this technology was developed, God was already guiding His people. The Holy Spirit is more accurate than any GPS unit. He can keep us on track throughout all the twists and turns of life.
There is one requirement, however. With a GPS unit, you have to look at it from time to time if it is going to benefit you. It is the same with the Holy Spirit. He wants to be your guide. But if you never spend time with Him, you will never hear the words of direction you need to navigate through life.
Spend some time today with the best guide in existence. Quiet your heart in the Lord’s presence. Let His voice become plain to you. Listen for the guidance you need for the road ahead. Then rejoice in Him for the Holy Spirit who is always with you.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christian, devotion, disciple, encouragement, faith, God's voice, God's will, GPS, guidance, heart, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, lost, path, prayer, presence of the lord
Luke 8:13
“Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.”
Roots and rocks are not a good combination, especially if you are a plant. One of the places that has very rocky soil is the state of Maine. One day, as I was hiking in Maine, I came across a strange sight. It took me a while to figure out what I was seeing.
I was hiking down a mountain on a series of switchbacks that went back and forth across the slope. The ground, which up to that point had been a normal brown color, suddenly had a ten foot wide streak of dark chocolate dirt across the trail.
When my foot hit this new dirt, I began to slide, uncontrollably, downhill. When I was finally able to stop myself, I began to look for the cause of this. What I realized was that a huge tree, that had grown in the dirt on top of a rock, had literally slid down the side of the mountain in a rainstorm the night before. Its roots had not held because they could not get very deep.
I took this as a spiritual lesson to me. If you have no root system, you may grow up for a while. Eventually, however, you will now be able to hang on in the storms of life. To be secure you must be firmly grounded in Christ.
Take the time today to add depth to your root system. Spend time in the presence of the Lord building your relationship with Him. Let Him speak to your heart as you wait upon Him. With the strength you gain from your times with the Lord, you need never fear the road ahead.
Tags: Bible, Christian, depth, devotion, encouragement, faith, God's faithfulness, hang on, Holy Spirit, holy worship, Maine, mountain, overcoming, path, prayer, prepare, presence of the lord, rock, rocky soil, rooted, roots, strength, testing
2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Thousands of people start new things each day. A new diet, hiking the Appalachian Trail or an exercise program just to name a few. It is a sad fact that most of them never finish what they have started. They had good intentions. They started strong and were eager to take on the new challenge. But somewhere along the way they fizzled out before the finish line.
Think about an athletic event like the Olympics. Nobody remembers how the race started, only the finish. The winner may have started at the back of the pack – it doesn’t matter – it is the strong finisher who gets the gold medal. We need to pick up the attitude that says, “No matter the obstacles, I’m finishing strong.”
What counts in God’s economy is not how you start, but how you finish. Whether it’s in athletics or in our walk with the Lord, we need the persistence to keep going even when we would much rather quit. It doesn’t take any special ability to drop out of the race. Most people never finish half of what they start. Find out what is important to the Lord in your life and commit yourself to finishing it.
We need God’s strength to keep going. Seek His power for your life today. Seek the Lord’s wisdom to know if there is some area of your life that you have quit that you should now pick up and bring to the finish line. Take the time needed to get this area of your life back in line.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christian, devotion, distractions, encouragement, finish, finishing strong, God's will, good intentions, Holy Spirit, overcoming, path, persistence, power, quit, run the race, start, strength
Matthew 26:45-46
Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
I always stand in awe of how determined Christ was to accomplish the work He was called to do. After His time in the presence of the Father we see no hesitancy or fear. He has set His face toward the path ahead.
I realize that, unlike us, He had no sin nature. However, it is clear that He keenly felt the sting of His mortality. I believe that He also understood clearly the pain that He would have to endure. It was these realizations that brought Him to His knees in the garden.
What I really need to grab hold of is the understanding that it is only in the presence of God that I can receive the strength and determination that it takes to move forward in my life. All of my will power and good intentions will never bring me to my destiny in the Lord. I need help from beyond myself.
Seeking intimacy with the Lord is time well spent. Use this peaceful moment that you have been given to get into that place of safety in God. In that way – just like Jesus – you may leave your time in the wilderness physically drained, but you will be spiritually strong.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christ, Christian, destiny, devotion, encouragement, endurance, faith, fear, God's faithfulness, God's will, Holy Spirit, holy worship, intimacy, Jesus Christ, mortality, path, prepare, presence of the lord, strength
Psalm 24:3-6
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
These are the real mountain-climbers. Those who desire to ascend to the hill of the Lord and to stand in His holy place. Are you one of those who want to stand in this place of power where few have ever been?
To climb a daunting hill requires persistence. Step by step, sometimes just plodding along, you get to the top. This “hill” of the Lord’s presence requires the same kind of consistency.
It is good to know that the access we need has already been granted through the blood of Jesus Christ. That is all the permission we need to enter His holy presence. The daily walk, however, is up to us. We can choose to spend time in His presence – a choice that will reap eternal benefits – or we can ignore it and live for ourselves.
Make that choice today. Spend the extra time that is necessary in the presence of the Lord. Ascend His holy hill in the power of His Spirit. Allow His holiness to draw you further upward than you have ever gone before.
Tags: access, Bible, Christ, Christian, climb, devotion, encouragement, glory, higher, holy hill, Holy Spirit, holy worship, Jesus Christ, mountain, mountaintop, path, presence of the lord, step by step
Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
Try as we might, we can never run away from God. What I have actually found is that people who try to run away from Him the hardest, end up running right into His arms. It is, as this Psalm puts so eloquently, impossible to flee from the presence of God.
If you are looking, His presence can be felt everywhere and in every situation. As a matter of fact, sometimes when I am hiking or camping in the most remote wilderness settings – far from any sign of civilization – I find His presence the strongest. The reality is that I can hear from the Lord the clearest when I am out in the wild.
It is an incredible blessing to know that the God of the universe is my constant companion. Wherever I go and whatever I do is in the company of His Holy Spirit. All I need is to ask and His guiding hand will take mine and lead me into His will for my life.
Go to Him today in the knowledge that He will never leave you or forsake you. Thank the Lord for His abiding presence in your life. Seek Him for His wisdom, strength, and guidance for the road ahead.
Tags: Bible, calling, Christian, devotion, encouragement, fellowship, God's faithfulness, God's will, Holy Spirit, holy worship, Jesus Christ, light, path, praise, presence of the lord, trust
Mark 2:23
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.
On one of His journeys, the Lord and His disciples passed through a field of grain. As they went through they began to pick and eat some of the heads of wheat. This was something the Law of Moses allowed so that a traveler could have something to eat along the way.
This reminds me of a time when I was hiking a trail up Mt. Everett in southwestern Massachusetts. As I neared the top I suddenly came into a stand of high bush blueberries. Each bush was overflowing with ripe fruit. Without even bending over I was able to grab a handful at a time and pop them into my mouth. What a great snack God had provided!
God always desires to refresh the weary traveler. He provides a bounty in the wilderness. This is especially true along the path of life. God wants to keep your spirit fresh and vibrant.
Our job is to keep our eyes open and to look for these times of refreshing. They could happen anywhere and at any time.
Spend a few moments right now thanking God for His abundant provision. Give Him praise for the times of encouragement you have received in the past. Ask Him to give you a sensitive spirit so that you can recognize the signs of His presence all around you as you continue your journey.
Tags: Bible, Christian, devotion, distractions, encouragement, faith, God's faithfulness, goodness, Holy Spirit, mountain, overcoming, path, presence of the lord, refreshing, traveler
The Spirit and the Word 