Devotions Inspired by the Fresh Start BibleSample

God's Intentional Interruption

By Mary Jo Pierce

Well into what my husband and I imagined retirement to be, God interrupted our lives. He used circumstances beyond our control to move us to another state. Unlike Abraham I did not go willingly. I just couldn’t imagine why God would take us from our family, friends, home, church, and ministry. It felt lonely. It felt confusing. It felt final.      

Only in hindsight do I see the sovereign, loving, I-know-the-plans-I-have-for-you God who has directed our steps. He was writing the most rewarding, significant chapter of our lives, and we didn’t even realize it. We chose to view that season as a test that we were intent on passing. A test of trusting, waiting, praying, and fasting. A test of giving thanks “in all circumstances.” 

And then suddenly, as quickly as God had moved us to another state, He brought us back home and opened doors we could not have imagined. We were beginning to see the fruit of that season of testing and trusting. 

• Ruth didn’t know she was destined to be the great grandmother of King David and in the legacy line of our King Jesus. 
• Moses didn’t know when God said, “Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt,” that it would involve a nation’s destiny.
•  Mary didn’t know when she said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true,” that God had planned to come to earth in the form of a baby as the promised Messiah. 
• The Apostles didn’t know when Jesus said, “Come. Follow Me,” that 2,000 years later, people would still be responding to that same call. 

Do you know? It takes courage, faith, and time to trust God when He interrupts your plans for His. If we will simply follow Him in what He tells us today, the blessing will be our descendants. 

Prayer

God, thank You for Your divine interruptions. I’m sorry for getting frustrated when my plans get in the way of Yours. Today I will submit my plans to You, and I pray that Your will be done in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Memory Verse

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14–16