The Upper Room Daily Devotional 30 August 2022 for Tuesday Message || Going in Circles
Read The Upper Room Daily Devotional 30 August 2022 Message by Graham N. West (Wisconsin, USA)
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TOPIC: Going in Circles
TODAY’S READING
Exodus 13:17-22
When Pharaoh let the people go, God didn’t lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though that was the shorter route. God thought, If the people have to fight and face war, they will run back to Egypt. – Exodus 13:17 (CEB)
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 30 August 2022 MESSAGE
I often become anxious when entering a traffic circle. It is especially challenging when I approach my desired exit but am in the wrong lane. Veering from one lane into the next usually brings a blast of horns from other drivers, so the only option is to stay in my lane and keep driving until I find a way to cross over.
The Exodus story describes the Hebrew people wandering in the wilderness. When they left Egypt, God led them along a path that preserved them from threats so that they would not want to return to Egypt but rather would be prepared to enter the Promised Land. God did not leave them alone but went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to show them the way. Going in circles for 40 years until they reached the Promised Land allowed the Hebrew people to learn to trust God.
Though we may sometimes find ourselves going in circles, we can trust that God has not left us alone but is with us, often in remarkable ways. Prayerful attention to God’s presence allows us to exit the circle and find our path to God.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear God, we quiet ourselves before you and open our hearts to your Spirit. Help us pay attention to your promptings that say, “This is the way; walk in it” (Is. 30:21). Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God is with me as I travel my daily path.
PRAYER FOCUS
Those seeking a new path with God
The Upper Room Daily Devotional 30 August 2022 Message. The Upper Room is a daily devotional magazine published in more than 30 languages and 100 countries around the world. The daily meditations are written by readers of the magazine and others interested in sharing their faith experiences through writing—both laity and clergy, published authors and new writers. Read More