Our Daily Journey: A 30-Day Walk With JesusÀpẹrẹ
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Behold the Plains
If there be any value in scaling the mountains, it is only that from them one can behold the plains.” —G.K. Chesterton
Those sentiments resonate. I’ve climbed some mountains during my lifetime—some real and some metaphorical. Pressing on ever higher can be hard and lead to suffering. But at the peak we can catch a view of what’s been hidden, a beauty that’s now made plain. There we can rest and experience a mysterious peace and joy, finding that we’ve been enriched and awakened by the journey.
Ruth didn’t see the jagged, foreboding ridge at first. Life was good. But then, after just 10 years of marriage, her husband and brother-in-law died (Ruth 1:4-5). A mountain of pain and disappointment shadowed her path. Living in a patriarchal society, she felt alone and vulnerable.
The journey up the side of her mountain had begun with grief. Then, because Ruth’s mother-in-law heard that the land of Judah was ripe with good crops—something that could help sustain them—Ruth left her family and homeland. Loss upon loss. A final, difficult rise in the path appeared: Naomi told Ruth and her sister-in-law to go back to Moab and not to follow her, for she was also a widow. Tears flowed as Naomi kissed the girls goodbye (v.9).
Ruth, however, stood tall on the mountain of pain and suddenly saw the “plains.” She saw what she should do—stay with Naomi and place her faith in God (v.16). The journey up the peak had led to a mountaintop experience of knowing and embracing the God who loved her.
Like Ruth, you too may be facing problems that loom like jagged peaks. Keep staying the course with your eyes on Christ. Soon you’ll “behold the plains” ...the good God has planned for you. —Tom Felten
MORE: Read John 16:33 and see why we can experience peace even when mountains of pain come our way.
NEXT: What painful challenge are you facing right now? What “plain” of hope and goodness is God bringing into view?
Ìwé mímọ́
Nípa Ìpèsè yìí
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Every journey requires supplies. On the journey of life, some of the best supplies are God’s Word and a bit of encouragement from friends. This Our Daily Journey reading plan features 30 days of writing from trusted authors whose insights speak into your life. Each short devotional contains a story supported by multiple Scripture references as well as a “Next” section to help you think more deeply. Make the most of your devotional time with truth and encouragement from Our Daily Journey.
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