LIWD :: day 52 :: What's Your View?

..."I [Naomi] went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. ...the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighy has afflicted me?" (Ruth 1:21)

Would you be devoted to a God like Naomi's? In Naomi's bitterness, she no longer referred to God as "the Lord" as she had in verses 8 and 9, but with a title that can cause one to feel alienated and insignificant -- "the Almighty." Though Ruth clung to Naomi as a mother she did not accept her mother-in-law's view of God for herself. ["If we think of Him (God) as cold and eacting, we shall find it impossible to love Him, and our lives will be ridden with servile fear."]

Your past experiences, present circumstances, or your parents' devotion or lack therof may cause you to have an incorrect view of God. But nothing and no one can give you a clearer picture of the true God than slipping under His wings and discovering for yourself Who God really is, the refuge for which you long. He desires for you to come again "into the garden" and walk with Him in complet fellowship. This is the fullness of devotion.

...nothing and no one can give you a clearer picture of the true God than slipping uner His wings and discovering for yourself Who God really is...

It's hard to praise God in the face of despair. We don't always understand God's plans. Scratch that...we rarely understand God's plans. We often can't make sense of why things happen. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why me? What did I do to deserve this? It was too soon for my mom/dad/sister/brother/husband/wife/friend/child to leave this earth. Why now?

What we often fail to take into consideration is free will. While it's easy to remember that we are in control of our own actions, we oft forget that so is everyone else. God does not interfere with free will...ours or anyone elses. He might speak to someones heart, and if they are listening and obey, they may follow His divine will, but it is still ultimately their choice.

It is important to remember that while we may not understand, or agree, with everything that is going on in our lives, God is still there. God is always there. God has always been there. God will always be there. He can use the bad in your life for good. So long as you believe in Him, and in His truth, you will reap the greatest reward possible...eternity in heaven.