Tuesday Devotional 2026: The Way Out
Elizabeth and her brothers on the train to Bangkok, Thailand.
Night Three – The Way Out
When There Seems to Be No Way
My wife, Elizabeth, spent four years of her childhood living in Saigon, Viet Nam. Her parents were missionaries there during the height of the war.
It was an uncertain and frightening time. At night, Elizabeth would go to sleep hearing bombs exploding in the distance. Sometimes she could hear the quiet, worried conversations of her parents as they tried to figure out how they were going to get their family safely out of the country.
Then her mother was given the opportunity to take a group of orphaned babies back to the United States to be adopted. It was the first planeload of orphans to leave the country.
That meant Elizabeth’s mom was gone.
Now it was just Elizabeth, her two brothers, and her dad left behind in Saigon.
Every day, Elizabeth’s dad drove through heavy traffic to the Ministry of the Interior, trying to arrange the paperwork they needed to leave the country. But every day, the lines of people waiting for the same thing stretched out of the building and around the block.
There was so much to do to get ready to leave, and there was no time to stand in line all day.
Finally, it was Sunday — just two days before they were scheduled to leave.
A citywide curfew was in place. Everyone had been ordered to stay home. But Elizabeth and her father got in the car and drove through the empty streets to the Ministry of the Interior.
When they arrived at the large government building, there were no lines. No crowds. No noise.
They walked into the empty lobby and waited.
The building was silent.
They waited for ten minutes.
No one came.
So Elizabeth’s dad prayed.
“God, You know we need this paperwork to leave the country. This is our one chance to get it. We are going to wait five more minutes. Would You please send someone to help us?”
They waited.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three minutes.
Four minutes.
Just as the large clock on the wall passed the four-minute mark, a man walked into the building and went up the stairs.
They waited one more minute.
Then Elizabeth’s dad said, “That must be our man.”
They went up the stairs. Every office door was locked. The lights were off.
Except one.
They walked into the open office, and there sat the Minister of the Interior.
Elizabeth’s dad explained their situation. He told the man about the paperwork they needed and the short time they had left.
The man listened carefully. Then he quickly wrote a note and handed it to them.
“Bring this note back tomorrow,” he said. “Skip the lines. Go directly to the front counter and give them this note. You will get your paperwork.”
Two days later, with paperwork in hand, Elizabeth and her family left Saigon.
Ten days after that, Saigon fell.
God made a way.
That is what God does.
The people of Israel were slaves in Egypt, but God made a way out.
They stood trapped on the shore of the Red Sea with the army of Egypt closing in behind them, but God made a way through.
When there was no road, God opened one.
Maybe you have had moments when you felt trapped too.
Maybe you have felt stuck in fear, pressure, temptation, sadness, anger, or guilt. Maybe you have faced a problem that seemed too big. Maybe you have looked at your life and thought, I do not know how to get out of this.
But the story of Exodus reminds us that God is not limited by what we can see.
God can make a way where there seems to be no way.
Colossians 1:13–14 says, “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
The cross of Jesus is God’s greatest rescue plan.
Through Jesus, God has made a way out of sin.
A way out of shame.
A way out of darkness.
A way into forgiveness.
A way into freedom.
A way into His kingdom.
No enemy is stronger than Jesus. No darkness is deeper than His love. No situation is beyond His reach.
So when you feel trapped, take a breath.
Look again.
Pray.
Trust.
God may not always open the way exactly how you expect, but He will never abandon you.
He is the God who hears.
He is the God who rescues.
He is the God who makes a way.
Questions to Talk About
What part of Elizabeth’s story stood out to you the most? Why?
Have you ever faced a situation that felt too big, too scary, or impossible to solve? What happened?
The Israelites stood at the Red Sea before they saw the way through. Why do you think trusting God can be hard when we cannot see the answer yet?
Colossians says Jesus rescued us from darkness and brought us into His kingdom. What do you think Jesus wants to rescue people from today?
Simple Prayer
God, thank You for making a way when there seems to be no way. When I feel trapped, scared, or unsure of what to do next, help me trust You. Thank You for rescuing me through Jesus and bringing me into Your kingdom. Amen.
