Judges 3:9-10 The People of Israel cried out to God and God raised up a saviour who rescued them: Caleb’s nephew Othniel, son of his younger brother Kenaz. The Spirit of God came on him and he rallied Israel.

The people of the Lord were like naughty children. As soon as things were going well, they turned away from God. Then another nation came and beat them up, and then they ran back to God with their tails between their legs.

So, they came to God with their tails between their legs again and asked for help. God took pity on them, or rather, I should say God once again overflowed with grace and sent them a new leader, Othniel. He was Caleb’s nephew.

Othniel was the first judge of God’s people. Othniel was led by the Spirit of the Lord to rescue the people from their distress. Under his faithful leadership, the land enjoyed forty years of peace.  He was a judge who led the people according to God’s will. He also helped the people to be obedient to God again.

The story of Othniel and the people of God mirrors our own. Sometimes, our hearts wander like those of rebellious children. When life is smooth, we grow comfortable; we pray less, we only half-listen to God, and we gradually drift off the right path. When things go wrong, we run back to God and ask for help.

But look closely at what God does. He did not give them what they deserved. He heard, He saw, and He sent help. God’s grace never runs out. He brings us back to the right path, closer to Him, time and time again.

If we let the Spirit lead us the way Othniel did, things will go much better. We will finally experience that peace that surpasses all understanding, guarding our hearts and minds.

Obedience and living within God’s will bring stability in a person’s life and in the people around them. Therefore, we must turn away from wrong paths and return to God. He is waiting to overload us with grace again and to bring peace to our turbulent lives.

Prayer
Father, I’m turning back to You. Have mercy on me and bring peace back into my life …

Questions
Where in my life have I slowly started drifting away from God?
Do I only run to God when things go wrong?
How can I intentionally live closer to God again today?

Do this now
Take a few minutes today to be still and honestly acknowledge to God where you may have strayed.
Choose one small practical step to live closer to Him again, such as making time for prayer or His Word.
Believe that God does not condemn you but welcomes you back with open arms and gives rest to your soul.