Follow-the-leader is an easy enough game to play when you are a little child. Your sole objective is to mimic the leader’s movements. With hyper-focused attention and a bit of nervous-giddy energy, you do as the leader does, and that’s how you win the game.
We get older, and sadly, following the leader becomes a little less straightforward and a lot harder to commit to—especially in our faith. Our objective to follow the leader of our lives—Jesus—wholeheartedly becomes muddied by mixed motives and hidden agendas. Our focus on the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives is replaced by a myriad of distractions and an almost constant state of busyness. We begin to question whether or not imitating Jesus is the best use of our energy and time. Often, we find ourselves wanting to be the leader in our own lives, moving at our own pace and in the direction that seems most pleasurable and desirable to us.
After the Israelites were rescued from Egypt, they were faced with a new challenge as God’s chosen people. Would they follow the leader? Now that they were liberated from slavery, would they willingly follow the Lord’s guidance? Or would they go where they wanted to and move at their own preferred pace?
The Lord led His people through the wilderness as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they stayed put and camped out. When the cloud moved, they, too, moved. The cloud was never behind them but always before them (Numbers 9:15–23). They followed the leader, and He was with them.
It may not be a cloud leading us, but we, too, are faced with a similar challenge. Will we submit to the Lord’s direction and timing in our lives? Will we place Him ever before us—looking to the Holy Spirit as the navigator of our course and seeking His will above our own?
Today, through Jesus’s resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are no longer reliant on a physical cloud for guidance from the Lord. Rather, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence is with us always. He leads and directs us through His Word, through Jesus (the Word made flesh), and through the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives.
Today, may you humbly submit to the Lord’s guidance in your life. May you actively seek Him above all else. May you praise Him for being a God who is with you, who never leaves you, and who makes a straight path for you. May you trust your today and your tomorrow to a God who is eager to lovingly guide you and provide for you.
Today’s readings were such a wonderful lesson of patience and obedience. Recently I have been struggling to be patient and wait for God’s timing. I am so used to just doing what I want to do when I want to do it. But this time I am waiting for God to work in mine and my husband’s life. I know He will provide for us when the time is right but it can be so hard! Reading about how patient and obedient the Israelites were throughout their wilderness journey gives me so much hope and reassurance that I can do it too! I’m sending all of you so much love. I can’t begin to express in words how grateful I am for this marvelous community. I’m praying for you all ❤️
I have a praise report- thank you to everyone who had been praying for my GI issues, praise God they have been resolving slowly over many weeks. Official diagnosis post- infectious IBS. I still have some minor issues but nothing like the pain I was having 2+ months ago.
Praising the Lord with you❣️
PRAISE the LORD! What a blessing! ❤
Today’s reading and devotion really resonates with me. The way it reflects on the themes of guidance and obedience in my Christian journey. It draws parallels between the Israelites following the pillar of cloud in the wilderness and my own journey of following Jesus today. It reminds me of the importance of submitting to God’s direction and timing in my life, despite the temptation to lead myself. The analogy of the cloud leading the Israelites is a reminder of God’s constant presence and guidance for me today through the Holy Spirit.
Thanks be to God for always watching out for us and always being present with us.
Thank all of you wonderful women of faith here in the SRT community with me.
I ❤️ that God is always relentlessly pursuing us in spite of all our selfishness and busyness of our lives.
Many hugs and much love to you SHES!!
@Ryan if you are reading the comments about the website issues- After I leave a comment, then you have to keep going back to the daily outline, then come back, then click on comments again Not a big deal, but makes you not want to comment or you will loose your place in reading them.
Today;s scripture reminds me of two songs-“Lead Me” by Sanctus Real, and “Wait” by Maverick City. Wait- is a good one when you can’t seem to wait! lol. Lead Me- reminds me that I let God lead me in AlL things!
My pain group was really good today as we finished our study on Job, using the book “Be Patient” which really, really puts things in perspective of when we keep asking Why Lord, Why??? Why is this happening! His answer…Oh, you know better how to make it all work?! Um..no, no I don’t…(when you put that way!) If we were in charge life would be grand and no worries…and we would all be shallow and drunk…lol. Things happen all on God’s time table, HIS way, for His reasons. It made Job say…I am so sorry I thought I knew more than you…I should be humble, and be reverent of You the Omniscient God. The Great I AM. Lord. Jehovah Jireh. Thank you Lord that you are growing me close to you, just like Job, I want to KNOW you, not understand you, but to be close to you out of sheer love and reverence! Thank you for writing my story, the pain and the joy! Amen and Amen in Jesus name!!
Prayers for you all in your trials, wait, and joys!
The thing that stands out to me today is Ex 13:17. “God did not take them by the way of the Philistines because they would have been defeated by war and turned back to Egypt.” It was a short cut, something that would have taken lots less time, but God knew the short cut also lead to defeat. They would have been overcome by the giants, and would have lost all heart to move forward. I know I love a short cut, often look for the shortest way to get somewhere. How many times have I tried to take the short cut only to find it was not the best way? God knows that the short cut isn’t always the best way. He knows the lessons learned along the way is what really brings change, builds trust, grows me spiritually. I have to trust Him enough to know which way to take me, and I have to have enough patience to go the long way if that’s what God sees as best.
That’s good Kris!
I love this! So true.