JUST WATCH THE LINES

JUST WATCH THE LINES
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 by BECKY VAN VLEET

Categories: devotional / GUEST AUTHORS / TUESDAY'S TREASURE

PLEASE WELCOME

BECKY VAN VLEET

TUESDAY’S TREASURE

Through the years, each car my husband and I have purchased has advanced considerably with all the computerized features, always a learning curve, at least for me. When we purchased our Acura MDX, and I saw all the lines on the front panel for guided parking, pulling in, and backing out, I said, “Wowza!”

Another learning curve.

Not one to read the car manual, it was easier to ask my husband and get a tutorial straight from him.

“When I go in reverse, what do the orange lines mean? And then, when I turn the steering wheel, the lines turn yellow, and they change position. What does that mean? What lines should I not cross when I’m close to the parked car?”

Simply put, he explained, crossing the yellow lines next to a parked vehicle results in hitting the car. “Keep it slow,” he said. “Just watch the lines.”

Good advice for me, especially when I’m in the Costco parking lot.

Do we watch the lines in our walk with God to avoid hitting spiritual road bumps that God’s word clearly instructs us to steer clear of? While we don’t have computerized cameras with a panel that displays the lines for how we conduct ourselves, we do have a manual—the Bible.

Sure, we can take shortcuts and get our tutorials from friends, family, and pastors, right? In our fast-paced culture, we have a tendency to take the road more traveled and utilize Lady Luck. But we might cross lines we shouldn’t. The first and the last of it, we need the manual, the Bible.

God designed us, and He knows what is best for our happiness.

He put lines in place to accomplish His plan of salvation, that no man should perish. If we cross God’s lines, we’re certain to hit something. Heart injuries and internal conflict will occur, maybe even death. Adam and Eve crossed a line they never should have, and look what happened.

God doesn’t pull any punches when He says, “For the wages of sin is death...” (Romans 6:23 NKJV) We must read the manual and trust God’s lines. And if we do, we can enjoy the rest of this verse which reads, “... but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Pray

Dear Lord, thank you for the lines and boundaries You have provided for us to keep us safe. We pray for wisdom and courage for obedience.

Reflect

Are we trusting God’s manual, the Bible, for our daily guidance?

ABOUT WHAT’S IN YOUR PURSE?

Purses are often full of necessities, treasures, and plain old junk

After my mother died, my family had to go through her purse and sort through the items. And among them was a small red notebook full of quotes, Scriptures, and notes from Bible studies and sermons. Oh, what a legacy of a godly woman our mother left us in these final words that we could read over and over and still be under her teaching and seeing what was important in her life. In What’s in Your Purse? these jottings have been expanded on and made into weekly devotions to encourage another generation of women to live close to God and to leave behind words to be embedded in the hearts of other beloved women. Easy to carry in your own purse, easy to read and ponder one devotion per week, easy to journal your musings, may these words be an impetus to walking closer with God throughout each week of the year. What legacy will be found in your purse one day? Or the better question might be, what’s in your heart?

ABOUT BECKY VAN VLEET

Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal turned award-winning multi-genre author. Her books are the recipients of the BookFest, Purple Dragonfly, Excellence in Editing, Christlit, and Angel Book awards. A contributing writer to Guideposts, The Country Register, Inkspirations Online, and other publications, Becky brings both heart and history to her work. When she isn’t writing, Becky enjoys speaking to school groups and senior centers about the Greatest Generation’s values, reminding audiences that stories, especially family stories, are one of the greatest gifts we can share. Through her website and monthly blog, she dedicates herself to helping families preserve their memories and celebrate the ties that bind past to present, one story at a time.

Connect to Becky:

https://www.beckyvanvleet.com

https://www.facebook.com/authorbeckyvanvleet/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/125841473-becky-van-vleet