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I want to do something differently today, and send you the full devotion I’m sharing over at Encouragement for Today today called It’s Not Good Luck, It’s a Good God. If you’re desperately looking for God to intervene in your circumstances but wondering if He even sees what you’re going through, I hope these words encourage you and give a you a little breath of hope today. This is your reminder that He does see. He does care. And He is always at work.
At the bottom of the post learn how you can enter to win a copy of Love Life Again: Finding Joy When Life is Hard as well as the Love Life Again Study Guide.
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“May the Lord reward you for your work. May full pay be given to you from the Lord, the God of Israel. It is under His wings that you have come to be safe.” Ruth 2:12 (NLV)
When life gets messed up, it is only natural to feel like God is overlooking our sufferings and not at work in our lives. But believing God doesn’t care can blind us to where He is working, or we can attribute His goodness to nothing more than good luck.
I don’t believe in good luck. I believe in a good God.
In the book of Ruth, we read how Naomi struggled to see God at work in her life due to the onslaught of losses and disappointments she had endured. She had to leave her home due to a famine and move to another city. And, she had already lost her husband, two sons, friends, wealth and financial security. Her heart became bitter and her faith, shaken. She believed her life was permanently void of good things and felt all she had was bad luck. Yet, despite her negativity and lack of faith, God had awesome plans for her life.
When good things finally did start happening after a long season of suffering, I can’t help but wonder if Naomi chalked them up to happenstance rather than giving credit where credit was due. It would have been easy because her heart was heavy, her faith weak and her spirit crushed. Yet, as you read her story, it’s obvious there was a good God orchestrating a divine plan.
We read in chapter one that Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth arrived back in Bethlehem just in time for the beginning of the barley harvest. Good luck? No, a good God with perfect timing. The harvest was God’s plan for meeting their physical needs for food and nourishment.
In Ruth 2:1, we find Naomi had a wealthy and influential relative named Boaz. Good luck? No, generations of planning by a good God to open doors of opportunity, provision and protection from harm. In Ruth 2:2-3, Ruth goes to pick up leftover grain in the fields, and “As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz” (NIV). Was it just good luck she ended up in Boaz’s field, of all fields? No, it was a good God going before her and guiding her steps.
Then in Ruth 2:4, the story continues, “Just then Boaz arrived …” (NIV). Good luck? No, a good God with perfectly orchestrated timing. And who does Boaz just happen to notice? Ruth. Good luck? No, a good God working on a man’s heart to prepare His plans to be carried out.
Ruth 2:12 reminds us of God’s goodness: “May the Lord reward you for your work. May full pay be given to you from the Lord, the God of Israel. It is under His wings that you have come to be safe” (NLV). And the rest is history.
Boaz later married Ruth, and they have a son together, giving Naomi a new son-in-law and a precious grand-bundle of joy. He purchased Naomi’s land and secured her financial well-being. These were all divinely planned gifts from God, not just good luck. Gifts of restoration and blessing, in His perfect timing, according to His perfect plans.
As for me, I have seen God at work, and His restoration plans for my life play out day by day. I can look back at so many good things that have happened over the past few years and can’t help but smile … because I see God’s miracles, not just streaks of good luck.
Although many areas of my circumstances are not yet restored, and life is often still hard, I now realize God did something even better than I could have imagined. He’s healed my heart and restored my strength, peace, hope, faith and joy — just as He did for Naomi and Ruth, and just as He wants to do for each of His children.
There’s no such thing as chance-happenings, my friend, only God-happenings, because Scripture reminds us God has His hand in all matters under the sun. Remember: God is always in control, working behind the scenes to orchestrate good plans for our lives. This not only gives us great hope, but also equips us to live with joy — despite whatever life throws at us.
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To enter to win a copy of my newest book
Love Life Again AND the downloadable Love Life Again Study Guide,
follow me on Instagram and leave a comment on today’s post!
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Tracie Miles is a bestselling author and the Director of COMPEL Training with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She helps women grow stronger in their faith, pursue the life of purpose God designed them for and live a life of peace, joy and happiness despite their circumstances.
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I don’t have It Instagram, but I’d enjoy a copy of your book and study guide. Your post today really touched my heart. My husband and I are unsure about the future of the ministry he’s had in the pastor’s for 20+ years. I don’t know what our future holds, and the thought of starting over somewhere else is overwhelming right now. I’m holding onto God’s promises, and your post today was an encouragement to me. Thank you.
Followed you on Instagram! You are an inspiration as I have gone through a divorce and have 3 children so I can relate to how you have felt. My youngest who is 13 just doesn’t understand why bad things keep happening and it breaks my heart. I do my best to tell him God loves us and is always here for us! Thank you for sharing your story and I’m so thankful that we aren’t alone!
I have been in a long season of waiting on and trusting the Lord. Layoffs, financially, changing churches, marriage tensions, health issues, etc. I continually have to remind myself that He is God and that He is in control. I would love to read this book and work through the study guide. Thank you for this gracious opportunity!!!
Thank you today this verse
May the Lord reward you for your work. May full pay be given to you from the Lord, the God of Israel. It is under His wings that you have come to be safe.” Ruth 2:12 (NLV)
Holy SPIRIT keep showing me who right person help put smile on Help Homeless follow
I don’t believe in coincidence….all things are Godincidences….things happen according to God’s plan….
It’s very inspiring to read how the Word of God can bring us inspiration and encouragement to live with contentment. I’m going through a rough patch in my marriage. I find that when focusing on Jesus and the Word of God, there is peace and joy in the midst of difficulties. God is working, and He holds our future. I can rely on Him when all seems dark. I’d love to read your book to further sustain me while in this difficult situation.
What a joy to read this today. Everyone always tells me how lucky I am and what good luck I have. But I know it is God luck and I always thank him for ALL that He he bestows on me. When life is difficult I know He is trying to teach me a lesson and teach me patience. When my “luck” is good I know it was God’s hand in it all.
My word for 2018 is joy so I’d love a copy of your book!
I needed to read this. Thank you.
I also don’t have instagram. Needed the reminder of this as facing the future of having to move to a place that is wheelchair accessible, needing a care giver, but not wanting to leave my dad alone. Not good at trusting so have to keep reminding myself that God is in control and He has a plan that will not just meet my needs but be better than anything I could imagine.
I too have gone through a terrible time in my marriage and ended up divorced. I cried out to God to work in my circumstances. I had to first humble myself and go to him and ask for forgiveness for my part in the failure of our marriage. I asked the holy spirit to work in the heart of my husband. I became discouraged thinking that my prayers weren’t being answered. Then God gave me a scripture to read.
Read the story in Daniel. He was a man of God and he humbled himself to pray and asked God for help daily. An angel finally came to Daniel and said God has heard your prayer and sent me right away to answer it yet I was detained for 21 days by the evil one and could not get to you. Then God sent the archangel Michael to stand with me and I was able to get to you. (Daniel 10:11).
What stands out to me is that God loves, God answers prayer but evil will come against it and your own sin can stand in the way. Ask God to search you first (Psalm 51). There are battles being fought that we cannot see. There are strongholds and spirits that want to destroy the family. As Christian women we need to get our hearts right with God, stand against the enemy, find prayer partners to pray together (when two or more ask in His name it will be done (Matthew 18:19) and then believe that He is a good father and thank Him for answering your prayers. I believe my family will be restored and He will pay us back for what the devil has destroyed. God hates divorce. He loves the family. Fight for your family. And know that God hears your prayers and is working on your behalf.