Finding Peace in an Imbalanced WorldSample

Redirect

Jesus’ gentle and compassionate words to worn-out Martha were words of redirection. We, too, should be thankful for the Lord's gentle correction. Within it is His loving protection.

Another story in the Bible, the story of Naomi in the book of Ruth, reminds us of God’s forgiveness and restoration. In a desperate situation, Naomi and her family went their way instead of trusting in the Lord. Many of us have done the same. But the Lord is faithful, never changing.

When she heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. Ruth 1:6 (NLT)

Here, Naomi remembered the Lord’s faithfulness. She had a turn of heart—a heart of repentance. Not only did she have a turn of heart, but she chose to return to Bethlehem under the Lord’s protection. So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. Ruth 1:22 (NIV)

Notice the restorative imagery. We reap benefits when we humbly surrender our hearts and will to align with the Lord’s. Our return reaps new beginnings. Our God is a God of second chances. He is our Redeemer.

Did you know that an airline is off-course at least 90 percent of the time? Weather conditions, turbulence, and other factors cause it to get off track, but the pilot receives feedback and makes course corrections, bringing the plane back on course. - Stephen Covey

Our lives are the same. If we keep adjusting our course and coming back into alignment/relationship with the Father, we will stay on good ground. We will hit our mark. We won't be perfect, and our lives may not be a straight line to the Father. They may look more like a zig-zag, but we still land in His arms, and the more often we recalibrate, the less suffering we will have to bear from the repercussions of our sins. He is ours, and we are His.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your goodness and mercy, your discipline and correction, and your vital power in my life. Thank you for never giving up on me, covering me with your unconditional love, and being my source of hope and firm anchor. In Jesus name, Amen.