Luke 10:30 –  "Jesus said, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.'"

Think

"Whatever we are going through, by God's grace we are just going through." Imagine a video game where the player has to go through a jungle in order to reach the gold on the other side. Along the journey there are alligators, quicksand traps, lions and tigers, and other dangerous obstacles that can wipe the player out at any moment.  The player also has the option of pausing at certain destinations along the way. These destinations aren't the ultimate goal, but they provide a pause for the player to plan his next steps over or around the next obstacle. When we think about it, this video game sounds a lot like life. This journey of life can be like a jungle. We can feel as though we are just a player in a game trying to avoid being knocked out on the way to the ultimate destination – the gold. Much like the man in Jesus' story, we can feel beaten and left "half dead." We are alive on the outside, but dead on the inside – just a player in a game. The reality is that while we are all on a journey in this life, it's not just a game. There will be obstacles and we will sometimes feel beaten up and left "half dead." But Jesus is here to breathe life into us each step of the way. He wants to be our guide on this journey through the jungle of life, helping us to pause and plan along the way. After all, even though our ultimate goal is to live in eternity with Him, He is also here with us today to guide us! Trust Him to lead you around and over the obstacles that you face.

Act

Take a moment to pause and look back over your life. How has God guided your steps over and around the obstacles in your life – even if you weren't aware of it at the time? Remember how He's worked in your past to give you confidence in how He will work in the future!

Pray

Heavenly Father, thank you for the guidance You give me. I know I could not journey through life without You. Help me not to lose sight of Your guidance when I encounter the obstacles of life, but instead to hold tighter to Your hand. In Jesus' name, Amen!