Letting God Lead You into the Unknown of a New Routine - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - August 21, 2026

“Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.”- Psalm 16:5-6 CSB

Just one more episode, I told myself. The cliffhanger at the end of show number four begged me to keep watching, but my circadian rhythms knew better. My body needed sleep.

I was working for the first summer in fourteen years. For over a decade, I’d been a stay-at-home mom, and this season was normally a time of lax schedules, sleeping in, and impromptu trips to the community pool. Although my new job was remote and flexible, I knew I needed to establish some type of regularity if I was going to get any work done.

How do we let God lead us into the unknown of a new routine? When the familiar beckons to stick with what we know, how do we choose trust and move forward? It starts with seeking Him, and then taking a simple step. Not three or four, but one.

As I reflected on this new season and thought about characteristics of God, I realized something: When He created the earth and everything in it, He set boundaries. He established predictable rhythms and patterns. Before He spoke into the universe, the earth was formless and void. But then, there was day and night. He brought structure to chaos and separated the waters, land, and sky. (Genesis 1) And when He finished creating each part of the world we now inhabit, He called it “good.”

We sometimes give boundaries a negative connotation, but in Psalm 16, David reminds us that boundaries are a blessing from God. They’re not only needed; they’re a gift, as he says, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” (Psalm 16:6 CSB). He also reminds us that God is the source of everything we need, and our future in Him is secure. But if we want His guidance and blessing, we must go to Him first, not after we’ve made our own plans. As David says, “I always let the Lord guide me” (Psalm 16:8 CSB). 

If you’re like me, you might fear failure when stepping into the unknown. But when we falter, our Father is there to redirect our steps. He knows our shortcomings and insecurities, and He is our Guide.

Even though I fought it at first, my body was like an alarm clock, alerting me that I needed to acknowledge my need for boundaries, following God’s guidance. When I prayed about this new, unfamiliar season of life, He showed me simple ways to establish a schedule while still enjoying my kids and the freedoms of summer - starting with a set bedtime. Instead of trying to implement a dozen new rhythms all at once, I set two or three. Then more, until the unfamiliar started to feel natural.

Friend, if you’re transitioning into a new season of life right now and your feet are feeling shaky, know this: You have an Advocate and Counselor. When we seek Him with a heart willing to receive His direction, He will give it. And even when it doesn’t look exactly the way we envisioned it, we can trust Him in it. 

God, 
Thank you for the beautiful gift we have in our ability to come to You for guidance. Thank you for directing our steps, even when we falter and get it wrong. We need you each moment of every day. In this new season, help us to make decisions that glorify Your Name. 
In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen.

What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Kal Visuals

Abby McDonald is an author, speaker, and writing coach with a passion for helping women get unstuck and respond to God’s voice in faith. Her books, Shift and Surrendering Certainty, are part of her mission to empower believers to not only discern God’s voice but respond to Him with courage. Abby writes regularly for Proverbs 31 Ministries’ daily devotions team, and her work has been featured in numerous publications. As a certified writing coach, she encourages women to pursue their God-given dreams and loves to teach at writing conferences each year. Abby lives with her husband, three children, and a rotten black lab in the mountains of western Maryland. Sign up for Abby’s free 5 Days to Unstuck Challenge to help you break free from patterns of insecurity and regret. You can also connect with her on her website and on Instagram.

Related Resource: How Faith Finds Us When Life Takes a Detour

Joining us this week is worship leader turned viral comedian Heather Land. After growing up in the shadow of her mother’s decades-long addiction, Heather reflects on how this painful season—alongside her unexpected shift from the worship stage to the world of comedy—taught her that while our paths may take unforeseen turns, our core calling to encourage and uplift others remains constant.

Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Rachel Kessler, an Episcopal priest and Kenyon College chaplain who completed her PhD in medieval studies at the University of Toronto before pivoting to seminary after hitting academic burnout, then built a following as the “Nerdy Priest” on TikTok after a student secretly downloaded the app on her phone. 

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