Correction

Two Stories, One God, and the Way He Corrects Us Now”

Sit with Me for a moment. 
Let Me tell you a story, 
actually, three stories.

Three people. 
Three different lives. 
Three different moments in time.

But one God. 
One heart. 
One truth that has never changed, 
only the covenant did.

Because God has always been who He said He was: 
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” 
(Psalm 34:18)

“There was once a king…”

There was once a king named Saul. 
A man with a crown, 
a throne, 
a nation behind him, 
and fear inside him.

He lived in a world where God was holy 
but far. 
Present 
but not personal. 
Powerful 
but not dwelling inside the human heart.

So when Saul messed up,
and he did, 
he didn’t hear God whisper. 
He didn’t feel God nudge. 
He didn’t sense God calling him back.

No.

He had to wait for a prophet named Samuel 
to walk miles 
to find him 
and deliver a message 
that felt like a hammer.

“You didn’t listen.” 
“You disobeyed.” 
“You’re losing the kingdom.”

Saul didn’t get a conversation. 
He got consequences.

He didn’t get comfort. 
He got distance.

And when he kept ignoring God, 
the Spirit left him,
because under that covenant, 
the Spirit could come and go.

A covenant of separation.

“But then there was a woman…”

Now listen to the second story.

There was a woman. 
Not a queen, 
not respected, 
not admired.

She carried no crown, 
only a water jar 
and a past she didn’t want to talk about.

She came to the well at noon 
because shame prefers the heat 
over the crowd.

But Jesus was already there.

He didn’t wait for her to fix her life. 
He didn’t wait for her to confess. 
He didn’t wait for her to prove she was worthy.

He met her 
in the heat 
of her shame.

And He spoke to her directly,
something Saul never experienced.

“Give Me a drink,” He said. 
Not because He needed water, 
but because He wanted her heart.

He told her the truth about her life, 
but He told it in a way 
that didn’t break her.

He didn’t say, 
“You should be ashamed.”

He said, 
“I know your story,
and I’m still here.”

Because “There is now no condemnation 
for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 
(Romans 8:1)

His correction didn’t sound like punishment. 
It sounded like invitation.

“Come drink living water.” 
“Come worship in spirit and truth.” 
“Come see who I am.”

And the woman who came to the well hiding 
ran back to town 
telling everyone about Him.

That’s New Covenant correction. 
It doesn’t crush you. 
It calls you.

“Do you see the difference?”

Saul’s story shows us correction before Jesus. 
The woman’s story shows us correction with Jesus.

But there’s one more story, 
a story that shows us correction after Jesus, 
in the world you and I live in now.

“Let Me tell you about a woman named Grace…”

There was a woman named Grace. 
Not a queen. 
Not a prophet. 
Not a preacher. 
Just a believer 
trying to make it through life 
without falling apart.

She loved God, 
but she struggled. 
She prayed, 
but she stumbled. 
She tried, 
but she didn’t always get it right.

One day, after a long, exhausting shift, 
she walked out of the store 
frustrated, 
tired, 
and ready to go home.

As she crossed the parking lot, 
she saw a woman struggling 
to load groceries into her car.

And Grace felt a small nudge inside,
a quiet thought:

“Go help her.”

But she ignored it. 
She was tired. 
She wanted to go home. 
She didn’t feel like being kind.

She walked past the woman, 
got into her car, 
and shut the door.

But the nudge didn’t go away.

It wasn’t loud. 
It wasn’t angry. 
It wasn’t condemning.

It was gentle.

Because the Spirit speaks like this: 
“My sheep hear My voice.” 
(John 10:27)

Grace sighed. 
She felt that twist in her chest, 
not guilt that crushes, 
but conviction that calls.

She whispered, 
“God… I’m sorry. 
I should’ve helped.”

And right there, 
in the quiet of her car, 
she felt peace wash over her.

Not punishment. 
Not distance. 
Not rejection.

Just peace.

Because Jesus said, 
“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, 
and I will give you rest.” 
(Matthew 11:28)

She opened her door, 
stepped back out, 
and walked over to the woman.

“Can I help you with that?” she asked.

The woman smiled with relief. 
“Thank you. 
I really needed it today.”

As Grace lifted the bags, 
she felt something warm inside, 
not pride, 
but connection. 
Not pressure, 
but purpose.

And she realized:

That gentle voice inside her 
wasn’t trying to shame her. 
It was trying to shape her.

Because God promised: 
“I will give you a new heart 
and put a new spirit within you.” 
(Ezekiel 36:26)

That’s the New Covenant. 
That’s the Holy Spirit. 
That’s God correcting 
from the inside.

“And here is the part Saul never had…”

We have something Saul never had. 
Something the woman at the well received that day. 
Something Grace felt in the parking lot.

The Holy Spirit, living inside us.

Not visiting. 
Not resting for a moment. 
Not coming and going.

Dwelling.

He becomes:
– the whisper of truth 
– the peace that guides 
– the conviction that feels like love 
– the reminder that we belong to God 

Because God said, 
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
(Hebrews 13:5)

We don’t need a prophet to speak for God. 
We don’t need fear to keep us in line. 
We don’t need punishment to make us change.

We have the Spirit 
inside us 
teaching, 
correcting, 
comforting, 
guiding.

This is why New Covenant correction feels different. 
It’s not a voice shouting from the mountain. 
It’s a whisper inside the heart.

“So hear this…”

Before Jesus, 
God corrected from far away.

With Jesus, 
God corrected face-to-face.

After Jesus, 
God corrects from within.

Before Jesus, 
people feared losing God’s presence.

After Jesus, 
the Spirit stays,
even when we stumble.

Before Jesus, 
correction felt like rejection.

After Jesus, 
correction feels like restoration.

Because God said, 
“Cast your burden on Me, 
and I will sustain you.” 
(Psalm 55:22)

This is the covenant you live under. 
This is the voice you belong to. 
This is the God who corrects you now.