A Way Back - Martin Wiles

Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. Ruth 1:6 NLT

Getting there proved easy. Getting back was the problem. And there could be anywhere or nowhere in particular.

My wife calls me directionally challenged, and I have been long before she came along. As a youngster hunting in the woods or fishing on the lake with my grandmother, I would travel to a particular area to hunt or fish, but when it came time to return home, the woods and the lake looked awful unfamiliar. I’ve been known to put notches in trees or sprinkle powder on the ground just to make sure I didn’t get lost.

When I started driving, things didn’t change. Dad taught me to read a map (almost a lost art in today’s world of technological marvels), so getting from point A to point B didn’t challenge me. Getting from Point B back to Point A did. When I thought I needed to turn left, my wife would tell me to turn right.

Occasionally, I’d argue my point (no pun intended), and she would say, “Well, go that way if you want to, but we’ll end up in ______.” Of course, she was right, but I still had to find out for myself. Eventually, I just let her drive. I knew a way back existed; I just wasn’t proficient at getting there.

Naomi needed a way back—the right way. She, her husband, and two sons had left the land of Israel because of a famine. While in the land of Moab, Naomi’s husband and two sons died, but she had gained two daughters-in-law. When she heard the famine had ended, she returned to her homeland. And God provided the way for her to do so.

Getting off track geographically is one thing; getting off track spiritually brings greater ruin. Fortunately, God provides a way back. When I chose to live in sin, God provided the ways of repentance and confession, which brought me back to a right relationship with Him. When I made poor choices that took me down paths God didn’t want me to travel, He gave guidance through His Spirit to get me back to where He wanted me to be.

Jesus mentioned an unpardonable sin, but the circumstances surrounding His statement don’t exist today. Unbelief is the only thing God can’t and won’t pardon. With anything else, He provides a way back if we’ll seek it and ask for it.

No matter how far you’ve gone in the wrong direction, God will show you the way back. Just ask.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for always providing a way back when we have strayed.

Tell us how you've gotten over wrong life turns. 

Tweetable: Are you lost and looking for a way out? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.