Today's Devotional: The Upper Room Daily Devotion "God’s Guidance" for Saturday, 2 May 2015 - Scripture: Joshua 3:1-5

Today's Devotional: The Upper Room Daily Devotion "God’s Guidance" for Saturday, 2 May 2015 - Scripture: Joshua 3:1 Y’hoshua got up early in the morning, and they left Sheetim and came to the Yarden, he with all the people of Isra’el; they camped there before crossing. 2 After three days, the officials circulated through the camp 3 and gave the people these orders: “When you see the ark for the covenant of Adonai your God and the cohanim, who are L’vi’im, carrying it, you are to leave your position and follow it. 4 But keep a distance between yourelves and it of about a thousand yards — don’t come any closer, so that you will understand which way to go, because you haven’t gone this way before.”
5 Y’hoshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, because tomorrow Adonai is going to work wonders among you.”
The officers commanded, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the levitical priests. . . follow it.”[Joshua 3:3 (NRSV)]
After a wonderful family outing, I was listening to my phone messages and heard an urgent message from the hospital. “Call the hospital immediately!” the voice said. My hands trembled as I dialed the numbers, dreading what I might hear. The message was that my father had passed away. I was terrified. I couldn’t imagine my life without him. Dad was always there, always providing guidance. Now he was gone.
Joshua and the Israelites also needed guidance when they were faced with conquering the land of Canaan. God promised that if they followed the ark, God would lead them. They followed the ark, and God led them right through the Jordan River to victory in the battle over Jericho.
God’s promise to guide our steps holds true for us today. If we look to God, we will know the way we should go, the way we should live. When my father passed away, I didn’t know how to go on with life, but I kept praying and kept reading the Bible, allowing the Holy Spirit to direct my thoughts and actions, one day at a time.
The Author: John Bagdanov (California, USA)
Thought for the Day: Through prayer and reading scripture, we receive God’s guidance.
Prayer: Dear Lord, when we don’t know what to do, what to think, or what to say, help us look to your word and trust you to show us the way. Amen.
Prayer focus: Someone Who Has Lost Touch With God

____________________________