When God Changes the Angle

Are You Stuck in a Spiritual Rut?

DAILY DEVOTIONALS

Bobbie Jo Gentry

9/8/20252 min read

Title: Upstairs View at the Lake

Scripture (Isaiah 55:8–9, NLT):

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

Devotional:

Ever been stuck in a spiritual rut? Same prayers, same spot, same routine — like you're hoping consistency will unlock God's voice, but all you hear is silence? There's nothing wrong with discipline, but sometimes God shakes you up because you've gotten too comfortable.

That's where I was — stuck. Until the lake. I sat down by the water one day, and God flipped the script. The lake was calm, but I wasn't. And He made it clear: He wasn't the problem. I was. The stillness in front of me exposed the chaos in me. That's when I realized His perspective was higher than mine — and my vision was too small.

From the water's edge, everything looked different. What I thought was the whole picture was just a corner. God's view stretched wider, deeper, and higher. Suddenly, the "why" behind my silence wasn't punishment — it was preparation.

Joseph knew that view. Betrayed. Beaten. Sold. Locked up. Forgotten. From the ground, it looked like the end. From God's perspective, it was the setup. The pit wasn't permanent — it was the pathway to the palace. That's not just Joseph's story. That's mine. And if you're honest, it might be yours too.

Sometimes, God doesn't change your circumstances. He changes your vantage point. And when you finally shift, you see what He's been doing all along.

Questions to consider:

  1. Where have I gotten comfortable — in prayer, in routine, or in silence?

  2. Where might God be calling me to step into a new place — physically or spiritually — for a higher view?

  3. What if the thing I see as the end is actually just the setup for something bigger?

Prayer:

Jesus, don't let me stay stuck on the ground when You're calling me higher. Break me out of routines that keep me blind. Pull me up to see what You see, even if it's uncomfortable. Give me the courage to step into new places, new views, and new trust. I don't just want calm water — I want Your perspective, Your plan, and the guts to follow it. Amen.