Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?”
Luke 9:23–25 (NLT)
Have you ever felt like the path you were on was off? That somehow you had taken a wrong turn? After college, I got a job as a traveling professional development trainer. On one occasion, I rented a vehicle and had to rent the GPS separately. Once I got into the car, I put the GPS on the dashboard mount. I put in the address of my location, and it stated that I had a six-and-a-half-hour drive. What happened next caught me off guard.
I was driving in the direction the GPS told me to go, yet I found myself on dirt roads far away from highways. I drove by large farmlands in the middle of Ohio. I kept on the path the GPS told me to take until I realized that every major road I had come across was not part of my route. Instead, my GPS was taking me down back roads. I was headed to Cleveland, and my GPS was directing me down the longest road to get there. After inspecting the GPS, I realized it was set to “back roads only.” Somehow, while the GPS was in my purse, I pressed buttons that set it on a path I was never intended to be on. Once I corrected the settings, I got to my destination by getting on the right road — which was quicker and smoother.
How often do we get into a car (which represents our lives) with a GPS (which represents the preselected settings of our mind and societal pressures) only to be driving in what feels like circles, unable to truly connect with the journey? In moments like these, God, in His love for us, will whisper, “Check the settings,” as He did for me in real-time.
The programming of the world will often leave us feeling lost and confused, wondering, “Where am I?” Check the settings, my friend. When Jesus says you must give up your own way, He is saying, “Once you give up your life, your journey, and your way, and decide to do life My way, that is when you will find your way.”
I can’t tell you it will be an easy or quick journey, but it will be the right one. This type of journey happened to me when I left my job to become a full-time mom and wife. Before I left, I reset my settings by deciding my life was no longer my own, and I gave up trying to live my way. Now it was time to do things God’s way.
Let’s pray:
God, redirect my thoughts to You every single day. Redirect my motives. Redirect my desires. Release me to follow Your plans and Your purpose for my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This article is from Release: 90 Days to Embrace God’s Plan for Your Life by Bridgette Reed.
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Do you ever ask God, ”Is this really what you want me to do?”
If so, you’re not alone! When we don’t see God’s plan playing out, especially the way we think it should, we start to doubt that we are in the right place. During the boredom, the tedious tasks, and discomfort, we begin to question God’s purpose for us, fantasizing about the opportunities we think we should have taken, and eyeing the paths that still appear far more rewarding.
Release: 90 Days to Embrace God’s Plan for Your Life, by Bridgette Reed, is a daily devotional designed to help you live by faith, not by sight. God’s dreams for us are bigger than ours, and His ways are above our ways. In this devotion book, you’ll discover how to embrace God’s perfect purpose for your life and the great joy that’s waiting for you there. It’s time to exchange your plan for God’s plan and experience the true freedom that comes from giving it all to God!
Get your copy today (and pick up a copy for a friend as well). . . and leave a comment below for a chance to WIN one of 5 copies*!
Then tune in to the (in)courage podcast this weekend for a special episode with Becky Keife and Release author Bridgette Reed. Don’t miss it!
*Giveaway open to US addresses only and will close on 10/9 at 11:59pm central.
Bridgette, this illustration is so on the mark! Thank you for sharing this experience & truth reflected in it! Blessings!
What a simple illustration that makes so much sense. I am on a 12 week mental health leave from a job I am passionate about and love, but I am unsure that it is part of God’s purpose for my life. I am 4 weeks into my leave and I am still unsure of my job, but I am sure that God’s got me!
I consistently feel like I am on “back roads.” Needing the courage to release that path and trust God’s direction. Bless you!
I felt like this described me perfectly: “When we don’t see God’s plan playing out, especially the way we think it should, we start to doubt that we are in the right place. During the boredom, the tedious tasks, and discomfort, we begin to question God’s purpose for us, fantasizing about the opportunities we think we should have taken, and eyeing the paths that still appear far more rewarding.”
This is a devotional that I must get!
Thank you for a chance to win this book. It sounds like it would be great to read.
I’m on a transition journey as I started attending a new church during the pandemic. Sometimes I wonder if I am on the right path.
I went from being an office manager for 28 years in a small business to getting my certification as a Hospital Chaplain. At a time when I was searching for more meaning in my life, God opened up my eyes to see how I could serve Him. I retired after 17 years of working on the front lines with people from all walks of life, of varied faiths, and some with no faith or background in God at all. God is so good. I thank Him for opening my eyes to the potential He saw in me.
Thank you for the chance to win a copy of your book. I am 82 and still trying to find my way.
Dear Bridgette, thank you for your encouraging words. I often wonder if I’m on the right track and I’m 70! I need to make sure I check in with my “Director” every day, to make sure I’m heading the right way. Blessings to you and yours!
Thank you Bridgette. Everything I’m reading, hearing and seeing lately is about God’s path, plan and His purpose for my life.
OH MY GOODNESS!
My husband and I have been “back pedaling” for a while now. We made a move “we thought” was a good idea and it just blew up! God took away everything familiar, but he had a plan. He helped us be bold in our faith. Serve where we never thought we could and directed us back home safely. On the bad days I still feel “like I’m driving in circles” and my husband is still mad..at himself and God!
Bridgette, thank you for your beautiful words, reminder and prayer “God, redirect my thoughts to You every single day”
Congratulations and blessings on the release of your book \0/
We just moved to a new location and my husband died. I’m now doubting all the reasons and decisions we made to make this move. This devotional reminds me that circumstances change but God and His plan for me doesn’t. Thank you for sharing your story.
Very encouraging and powerful. Thank you for this reminder to give it to God and trust his way.❤
I’m kind of in that looking for the next thing God has for me with eyes wide open and uncertainty about what’s ahead, so reading this today was such an important reminder about the faith we need to continue to trust and follow God in all seasons of our lives.
I remember the days when there was an option to add a GPS device to your rental. Now we just hop in our rental cars and open one of the many navigation apps available on our phones. Most rentals have a navigation system built in. Even then, we still need to check the settings. I wouldn’t want the best plan for getting where I need to be using someone else’s preferences! I’ll remember this devotional every time I use a navigation system for directions.
So many times I feel lost, like I’m drifting. Wondering what is God’s direction for me.
What a timely post. I am looking for God’s direction for my life. I am in the process of getting ready to move to Idaho and I feel like I am going in circles. Blessings to you.
“God, redirect my thoughts to You every single day. Redirect my motives. Redirect my desires. Release me to follow Your plans and Your purpose for my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
– Amen, Amen, & Amen.
Thank you for this encouragement, Bridgette! Love the theme of the devotional for sure!
PS You have a beautiful smile! Keep smiling! 🙂
Bomi, you always have the most uplifting encouraging words to the authors on this sight. I want to be as positively intentional as you when I “grow up”!
And talk about beautiful smiles, keep smiling yourself! You & Bridgette light up this page!
Ruth, I just saw this! You’re not going to believe this, but I *just* responded to your comment on another post LOL. The one about the root beneath the ground. I loved the powerful visual. And then I came here and saw this comment. How cool is that! I LOVE IT!!! You should see the big smile on my face, haha!!!
Thank you so much for your kindness, Ruth!! Big hugs and Blessings to you! I do hope you get to read this too 🙂
This past month brought a move I wasn’t necessarily plan on making but I believe it was the right decision as it was bathed in prayer. Thank you for another opportunity to win!
Thanks for a great read! I needed to hear that as my life has recently took a big turn.
To that concluding prayer I’m adding my own big AMEN. Even as a retiree, I still want God to redirect my thoughts to His, redirect my motives and my desires, and release me to follow HIS plans and purpose for my life. Thank you, Bridgette!
Amen. ❤️
Thank you for reminding us that we need to seek God’s directions daily and sometimes hourly. We need to remember that Jesus is our shepherd and that we are his sheep, his followers and that when we take our eyes off if Him we can go astray. At times this is hard to do especially when we are are so bombarded with things of the world and with things going on in our lives. as a friend keeps telling me don’t look to the left or the right but to look up to our Heavenly Father. God bless you all.
I love your illustration bout the GPS!!!! So good and relatable. Thank you for opportunity to win. It sounds like an amazing book! To God be the glory for putting it in your heart and giving you the gift of writing.
Beautiful words for my soul at this time of transition in my life
Bridgette,
Congratulations on the book release. This is a much needed devotional for ALL women. In the middle of the pandemic while working part-time at as hospital ICU Step Down clerical they shut my unit down due to staffing. I was wondering what God had in store for me since He gave me that job. Think Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you.” declares the Lord. He repositioned me into a Covid ICU unit. I was nervous at first. Soon I got the hang of things & the RNs & CNAs liked me. To my surprise God answered a long standing prayer by giving me a fulltime benefitted position in ICU. The wrote the position just for me. WOW!! Three months later that unit shut down, but they moved me to med surge Covid unit. I worked there until it closed. Then I was back with ICU patients. A few weeks ago the other ICU clerical quit & the whole job became mine. It felt overwhelming. Wondering if I was doing a good job or not. Again God blessed me by having my boss say “we’re lucky to have her” in my annual review. Now when I’m stocking 28 rooms & dealing with 14+ RNs & some CNAs I find myself singing Christian songs & redirecting my focus back to Him.
Blessings 🙂
Thank you for this, it was great to listen to. Thank you for this opportunity to win the book also.
I loved listening to Becky’s conversation w Bridgette. I’m a social worker and listening to this podcast encourages me to keep God in the forefront when I’m helping people and w my personal relationships. Bridgette is very encouraging and inspirational and I’m looking forward to reading her book