February 25, 2026 Devo

I was talking with one of my staff members today about how God shows up and provides in the most unusual of ways. When I was a pastor in PA, I took a church plant that was meeting in a hotel ballroom. We looked and looked for a facility that would better accommodate us. Options we thought were “perfect” fell through. Finally, God opened a door for us to purchase a beautiful, but small, country-style church in the heart of town. It came with a three-bedroom house that we were able to convert into offices. One big problem, though, was that we had very little room for children’s ministry and no classrooms.
Then one day, I was having lunch with a couple of friends I knew from the Y. I told them about our new church and how excited we were to be out of the hotel. I also told them about some of the challenges we faced. After lunch, one of them asked me to show him the church. We drove to our building, and I gave him a tour. After showing him around, he asked me, “Have you ever seen the day care center just up the street?” I said, “No.” He walked me the half block up to an older elementary school that had been completely remodeled inside. He walked in like he owned the building and began to show me the facility and all the renovations that had been done. It was a beautiful place. He turned to me and said, “Do you think you and your church would like to use this facility on Sundays? It sits empty on the weekends.” My jaw dropped, and my eyes got wide. “Sure!” I said excitedly. He smiled and told me that he was the chairman of the board that ran that center and that he and his family had basically funded the renovation project. “I’ll have them rent it to you at a rate you guys can afford.” And he did. That facility allowed our church to triple in size over the next few years.
Don’t miss this. A man who had never attended our church and came from a completely different church background was used by God to pave the way for our church to flourish into the future. A simple lunch with friends and a simple sharing about our church and our need sowed all the seeds God needed to make it happen. God not only got us into the church building that was perfect for us at the time, He was also already preparing what we were going to need for years to come. Isaiah was spot on. God can “smooth the path” ahead of us.
Whatever path you are on today, God knows. He knows where you are, what you need, and even what you are GOING TO NEED. Don’t allow the challenges you face right now make you believe that God has abandoned you. He has not. In fact, right now, in ways you can’t even begin to imagine, God is working on your behalf. Trust His Heart. Trust His Ways. Follow His Lead. Let Him Work. He’s not only your Guide who knows where you need to go, He is also your Provider who will make sure that you get there. He will smooth your path. That’s God’s Word for you today.