Of course, all of this is from God. His grace is what allows us the ability for any good. Our celebration is first one of praise to God. Let’s not stop there, let’s celebrate obedience!
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What people in your life have demonstrated this “look of love” to you? Thank God for them. How might you be demonstrating the same for others?
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Fulfilling the Law in a vacuum results in a society of legalism, complete with its own vacuum of caring. When we see the Law as an expression of caring for ourselves and others, that care will flow outward. The evidence of people obeying the Law is love.
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When you find yourself in a situation of discernment, there is a path. This path is called prayer and counsel. First, spend time with God in prayer and study His Word. Second, seek the counsel of godly people. It’s important to not skip step one.
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We all need to know God’s Word. That is step one. Step two is doing God’s Word. Taking action requires courage and confidence. To be clear, having a spirit of courage comes through prayer and the very Spirit of God living in us.
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God has a few “processes and plans” in Holy Scripture. Are there any that you need to take Action regarding? If you are not aware of any, sit, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to speak. God is in the business of growing us, and we grow by taking Action through Obedience.
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Family is tricky. Family is hard. Yet, today I am reminded that God is serious about redemption. He is serious about you and I being adopted as sons and daughters through Jesus. God is serious about Him being your Father.
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Often, when we see love and grace in action, we have positive feelings. In reading this part of the Book of Ruth that is what I am experiencing. Boaz is being gracious to Ruth, and Ruth in turn is being gracious to Naomi.
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I have noted in other reflections how Naomi, without railing at God, notes that God “has dealt bitterly” with her. She has this unique way to simultaneously acknowledge that God is sovereign, without impugning Him and without rancor.
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Boaz does not see his job as apart from his faith—it’s part and parcel of his life. You might say to me, “Well that was back then.” My response, “Let me be like some of those men of old.”
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The Book of Ruth, with its wonderful short story, gives us the chance to look at the dynamic between human choices and responsibilities, and the sovereignty/providence of God.
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I am not sure if you are the sort of person who wonders about God, and about how all that we experience in this world stacks up to our trusting of God and this story of the Bible. If you do, consider Ruth, her situation, and her God.
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What trouble are you in? Are you facing a disastrous situation like Naomi, or are you feeling as if you are beating your head against a wall? What has Naomi modeled for you (for me) that might lead to spending your time with God differently? Consider doing so right now.
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When it comes to our faith, this is especially true in times of difficulty and pain. You might wonder why. I want to suggest that in moments of pain, people often draw close to us. While we cannot see our impact (because of our own pain) we affect them more than we can imagine.
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How we deal with the pain of this life and how we grieve, are the real questions. The Book of Ruth models the how for us, all the while not dwelling on the why.
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Naomi’s prayer flows out of her love, her love of this all-caring God and her love for her daughters-in-law. There is this “little phrase” that is easy to miss: may the Lord deal kindly with you. The actual Hebrew word is hesed.
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I came across one definition of hesed I consider to be a good, working definition: “The consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly-pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, furious love of our Father God!”
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Do you remember all the hurts, and all the lies which flow from them, or do you remember God. We must edit out of our minds and hearts all the lies that Satan has planted through the hurts we have endured.
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Do you have a theology of life on this earth, and life after? When you have faced difficult times, have you been able to trust God amid your trouble and pain?
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The best answer to the question, “Tell me a little about yourself” is, “I am a child of the Living God!” I will ask you to hold onto this question about how Naomi perceives her identity…but for now, do you, as your primary identity, perceive yourself as “a child of the Living God”?
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