Daily Devotionals: Navigational Tools

0:00September 22nd, Navigational Tools. Imagine you are sailing the South Pacific and somewhere along the journey. You find yourself at Point Nemo. This is the farthest you can be on our planet from land. The nearest being more than 1600 miles away. In every direction, all you see is rolling waves. Without the use of nautical navigation tools, you have no steady reference points. This scenario is similar to those who live their life with a secular mindset. Refusing to acknowledge the ordinances of God leaves us open and free to drift from one harmful decision into another. Today we'll hear from many a woman whose directionless choices took her all over the map. She's here to share with us her true story, beginning with her difficult childhood. On this unshackled, daily devotional.

1:03Mama would beat me with a horse whip and grandma would comfort me. Grandma died when I was 12 and Mama shipped me in my brother to Chicago where we lived with an uncle. His girlfriend would let me eat only on Sunday. So my back started growing crooked. Someone made arrangements to have my back straightened, but Mama refused to sign the papers. By the time I started high school, I had my own apartment, and was working at a large hotel in Chicago. Not long after I graduated, I met a man who wanted to marry me, but I hated the cold weather, and went back to Mississippi. There I began a lesbian relationship with a woman and lived with her for four years until she died of cancer. Then I met her to man who beat me. When I second son was eight years old, I finally left and took my sons with me to Chicago. The years passed in spite of a stroke that paralyzed my right side, I raised my boys by myself. When I was almost 50, I again fell in love with a woman. She was involved in witchcraft, and I was a rocker relationship for eight years. I went to visit an uncle who loved the Lord,

2:04and as he prayed with me, I accepted Jesus as my Savior. As I began studying the Bible, I saw how wrong I had been in my relationships, and how far I have been from God. My name is Minnie Bolton, and I praise the Lord for setting me free of those sinful desires. Isaiah chapter 48 verse 17 states, Thus sayeth the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way thou shouldest go. Friend, those without God are like a ship lost at sea. At times, they may look like they are on the proper course, but if they do not know why they are there, it will do them no good, and they can easily drift away into dangerous waters as the tide turns. We need the navigational tools of God's instruction, so cling to them and use them regularly as you chart your path in him.

3:10Will you receive this truth today? Unshackled, the longest running audio drama in history, airs on over 3,000 radio stations worldwide, real people, real life stories, stirring dramatic accounts of hopelessness, and the hope that changes everything. This award-winning program grips the heart with compelling and relevant stories of transformed lives. Without Jesus Christ, we are all shackled by sin, by our wrong choices and selfish motives, but God is at work, and the power of Christ sets us free of our bondage. Unshackled, daily devotionals are a daily reminder of God's presence in your life. Listen to a new devotional every day, and don't forget to tell your friends about Unshackled, Daily Devotionals.