God’s Correction Is for Your Good

“Happy is the person whom God corrects! Do not resent it when he rebukes you.” Job 5:17 (GNT)

If I'm running from what God has called me to do, there is something I should know: God is calling me back to him.

He knows that the longer I run, the worse life will get for me. And he wants to get my attention before it’s too late.

Even though God is patient, he won’t let me ignore his call forever. God loves me just the way I am, but he loves me far too much to let me stay that way.

One day he’s going to get my attention.

The prophet Jonah found this out the hard way when he ran from God by boarding a boat headed in the opposite direction from where God had called him. While on the boat, a storm came up—and “it was getting worse all the time” (Jonah 1:11 GNT).

The more Jonah ran, the worse the storm got. Jonah’s running had consequences.

It’s the same way for me. When I run from God, eventually I’ll find myself surrounded by storms. Sometimes those are the storms of God’s correction. But when God corrects me, it’s not negative. It’s because he loves me!

Loving parents discipline their children because they love them and want to see their children change their behavior for their own good. God is the same way. The Bible says: “Happy is the person whom God corrects! Do not resent it when he rebukes you” (Job 5:17 GNT).

As the storm got more intense, Jonah’s shipmates asked a question many people ask when troubles build: “What should we do . . . to stop the storm?” (Jonah 1:11 GNT). The answer is always the same. I must completely surrender my life to God. When I surrender, peace comes.

Jonah did this. He responded, “Throw me into the sea, and it will calm down. I know it is my fault that you are caught in this violent storm” (Jonah 1:12 GNT).

It was Jonah’s first unselfish act—and his first step toward a fresh start. He admitted he was the cause of the storm, and he surrendered to God’s will.

If I'm running from God’s plan for my life and now I'm facing a storm, surrender to him. It might not be a literal storm—or one where I'm tossed overboard like Jonah—but it feels just as overwhelming. The good news is, I can confidently surrender to God because he is for me, and he’s calling me back to him.

In summary:

When I run from God’s calling, life only grows harder, but God uses correction—like a loving parent—to bring me back to Him. Jonah learned this when he fled from God, only to face a worsening storm until he surrendered and admitted his fault, which became the first step toward a fresh start. In the same way, when I face storms in life, they may be God’s way of getting my attention and calling me to surrender. His correction isn’t punishment but love, reminding me that true peace comes when I stop resisting and fully submit to His will.

Bottom line:

Running from God only leads to storms, but His correction is an act of love that calls you back to Him.  So the next step is to stop resisting and fully surrender to God—acknowledge where I’ve been running, turn back to Him, and trust that His plan will bring peace and a fresh start.

Purpose is Written, Not Imagined

“Always remember what is written in the Book of the Teachings. Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything.” Joshua 1:8 (NCV)

Everyone wants something to live for—but many of us look for it in the wrong places. You can’t find your mission in a billboard, on social media, or by watching TV. You can’t just guess what it is either.

You can only find God’s mission for your life in one place: God’s Word.

Studies show that each of us has 600 to 700 talents, but we never use most of them. When you embrace God’s mission for your life, though, you’ll find that he can use many more of the gifts and talents he’s given you.

Jonah, one of God’s prophets in the Bible, received his life mission from God. The Bible says, “The LORD spoke his word to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Get up, go to the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it, because I see the evil things they do’” (Jonah 1:1-2 NCV).

God gave Jonah his mission. He’ll give you one too as you read his Word. The more you dig into the Bible, the more you'll understand your mission for life.

God uses many different ways to get his Word into your life. Sometimes you sit down to read it. Other times, you may hear someone preach it. And on other days you’ll read a devotional like this one. If the only time you open your Bible is when you’re in church, you likely will never discover God’s mission for your life.

Instead, make the Bible a regular part of your life. Spend time with God every day, even if it’s just a few minutes. Put it in your schedule—write it on your calendar, or set a daily alert on your phone.

Joshua 1:8 says, “Always remember what is written in the Book of the Teachings. Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything” (NCV).

If you want to successfully accomplish God’s mission for your life, stop looking for a vision and start looking for a verse. God won’t write your mission in the sky. He has already written it in his Word.

In summary:

True success and purpose come from discovering God’s mission for life through His Word, not from social media, entertainment, or guesswork. The Bible teaches in Joshua 1:8 (“Always remember what is written in the Book of the Teachings. Study it day and night to be sure to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything.”NCV)) that studying and obeying Scripture daily leads to wisdom and success. Just as Jonah received his mission directly from God, we too will find ours as we consistently engage with the Bible—whether by reading, hearing it preached, or studying devotionals. God has given us many untapped gifts and talents, and when we align with His mission, He can use them fully. To discover and live out our purposes, make God’s Word a regular part of our daily routine and let it guide life.

Bottom Line: We will only discover God’s mission for our life by regularly reading, studying, and obeying His Word so make Bible reading a daily habit—schedule it, set a reminder, and commit to spending time in Scripture so you can understand and live out God’s purpose for your life.