Weekly Devotional: June 3, 2026
GOD’S WORD
Exodus 15 and Numbers 12
Devotion by
Captain Liz Blusiewicz
Corps Officer for the Beckley, WV Corps and Community
DEVOTIONAL
Out of Alignment — The Leadership of Miriam
The same voice that led worship in Exodus 15 is the one that later speaks out of alignment in Numbers 12. The contrast is not accidental; it’s a mirror into the human heart.
In Numbers 12, we see a different side of Miriam’s leadership. Along with Aaron, she begins to criticize Moses. Whether it stems from frustration, pride, or comparison, the result is clear: she challenges God’s chosen authority. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” she asks. “Has He not also spoken through us?”
God responds swiftly, defending Moses and confronting Miriam’s actions. She is struck with leprosy and temporarily removed from the community.
IT’S A DIFFICULT MOMENT.
And it raises an honest question: what happened? How does someone move from leading a nation in worship to speaking in a way that disrupts unity and challenges God’s order?
The answer is both simple and searching even strong leaders can drift out of alignment. Even those who have walked closely with God are not immune to pride, comparison, or misplaced criticism. Influence does not eliminate vulnerability; it often exposes it.
Leadership is not just about influence; it’s about accountability and alignment. It requires humility, self-awareness, and a willingness to be corrected.
Miriam’s story reminds us that gifting and calling are not the same as ongoing surrender. You can be called and still need correction. You can be influential and still need refining. You can be used by God and still have areas of your heart that need realignment.
AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT GOD DOES HERE.
Miriam’s discipline wasn’t the end of her story; it was part of her alignment.
God didn’t discard her. The same woman who led in worship and was recognized nationally is also the one who had to learn humility through correction. That tension is where growth happens. It reminds us that being used by God doesn’t mean we’ve arrived; it means we are continually being shaped.
There’s an important balance here: God calls us into influence, but He also refines our character so that influence is handled well. He is not only willing to use us, but also committed to forming us.
HE IS READY TO REALIGN US.
And that truth is especially important for those in leadership and ministry, particularly in seasons of singleness, where identity and calling can feel closely intertwined.
Miriam’s life offers both encouragement and challenge. The encouragement is clear: you don’t have to wait for a different season to live with purpose. You don’t need a partner to validate your calling. God can—and does—use individuals powerfully right where they are. Your voice matters. Your leadership matters. Your obedience matters.
It’s not enough to step up; you also must stay grounded in community. Sometimes in our singleness, our resilience can push us into isolation and echo chambers. The same boldness that allows us to lead must be paired with the humility to be corrected. The same voice that speaks publicly must remain surrendered privately. Because the greatest danger is not losing influence, it’s losing alignment while still having it.
MIRIAM’S STORY INVITES US INTO HONEST REFLECTION:
Where is God calling me to take initiative right now? Am I willing to lead boldly, even without recognition? And am I open to growth when God corrects me?
Leadership in God’s Kingdom is rarely about position; it’s about posture. It’s about a heart that stays soft before God. A voice that remains submitted to Him. A life that is willing to be adjusted, redirected, and refined.
Miriam stood watch when no one else noticed. She spoke up when it mattered. She led worship in front of a nation. And yes, she stumbled. But she also learned. And that learning became part of her legacy.
HER LIFE LEAVES US WITH A POWERFUL TRUTH:
Singleness is not a waiting room for purpose. It is a place where purpose can be discovered, developed, and displayed. God is not holding back influence from you until your life looks different. He is inviting you to step into it now with courage, with faith, and with a heart that remains teachable. Because in God’s hands, a willing and aligned life, regardless of season, can shape far more than we imagine.
It reminds every Salvation Army officer that the greatest threat to effective ministry is not lack of gifting, but misalignment of the heart. We can lead powerful moments of worship publicly and still need private correction. We can guide others into praise and still wrestle with pride, comparison, or frustration internally. That’s why the life of an officer must be rooted not just in leading worship, but in living a life of worship.
A life where humility guards our influence. A life where our voice is surrendered daily to God. A life where correction is received, not resisted. Because the goal is not just to speak boldly, it’s to lead in surrender to God. That is the calling.
FOR EVERY SALVATION ARMY OFFICER, THE INVITATION IS THE SAME:
“𝒯𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝑒𝓇𝓋𝑒 𝒽𝒾𝓂 𝓈𝓊𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝓎 𝒹𝒶𝓎𝓈,
𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝒾𝓃 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓁𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝓈𝒶𝓁𝓋𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒
𝒻𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝓅𝓊𝓇𝓅𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝓎 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒, 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝑜𝑜𝓇,
𝒻𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝓊𝓃𝑔𝓇𝓎, 𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓃𝒶𝓀𝑒𝒹, 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓊𝓃𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝒹,
𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒷𝑒𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓃𝑜 𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈,
𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝒾𝓃𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝒸𝓉𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝒾𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻
𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝒶𝓁𝓋𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒜𝓇𝓂𝓎, 𝒶𝓃𝒹, 𝒷𝓎 𝒢𝑜𝒹’𝓈 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝒸𝑒
𝓉𝑜 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓂𝓎𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻 𝒶 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓉𝒽𝓎 𝑜𝒻𝒻𝒾𝒸𝑒𝓇.”
BUT IN ALL OF THIS, LEAD UPWARD FIRST.
Because our greatest impact will never come from what we build, organize, or accomplish. It will come from how faithfully we point people to the God who saves.
And when we find ourselves out of alignment…and we will…Scripture offers us both hope and a model for restoration.
In Numbers 12:13, 15, Moses cries out, “Please, God, heal her!” And though Miriam is set outside the camp for a time, the people refuse to move forward without her. They wait until she is restored.
There is something deeply powerful in that moment. Who are the people waiting on us to be restored? Corps Family, Colleagues, Community Members, and our own families.
The very person Miriam spoke against becomes the one who intercedes for her healing.
Who are the people in your life who will pray for you, stand for you, and believe for your restoration, even when you’ve been out of step? And just as importantly, are you willing to be that person for someone else?
OUT OF ALIGNMENT…IS NOT THE END.
Because sometimes the realignment we need most doesn’t just come from correction; it comes through reconciliation. It comes through humility. Through grace. Through a willingness to both seek and extend restoration.
Miriam’s story reminds us that being out of alignment is not the end. In the hands of God, it can become the very place where healing begins and where leadership is reshaped into something deeper, stronger, and more surrendered.