A Most Beautiful Truth!

Reading: Ruth
My verse:  "“and the Lord caused her to conceive, and she bore a son" (4:13b)

This is an achingly beautiful story of loss, kindness, loyalty, love and redemption.  It also is a beautiful example of how You, LORD God, work in our lives - in the smallest details of our lives.  I like this because it shows how our lives are not random, nothing is really by chance.  You, LORD God, are in all things. This is a most important truth.

Ruth is a Moabite, a widow, and though she had been married was childless so likely she was barren.  Yet, because she decided to love and care for her mother-in-law, Naomi, You LORD God blessed her in the most wonderful way.

Ruth persisted in her kindness to Naomi, even when it was difficult.  Her prospects did not look good from the human point of view.  She chose to go with Naomi, her mother-in-law, back to Israel where she, Ruth, would be a foreigner.  Once in Israel, she chose to do whatever she could to provide for her aging mother-in-law.  She went to the fields to glean, much like a slave.  It was dangerous - there was the strong possibility of her being molested in the fields.

Then enters Boaz, another person who has chosen to follow Your precepts of love and kindness.  He notices Ruth right off, makes a point to make her feel safe and even gives her advice.  He instructs his workers to look out for her. So Ruth worked the entire season, laboring in his fields as a gleaner.

Then at the end of the harvesting season Naomi tells Ruth to do a very strange thing.  She tells her to "Wash therefore and anoint yourself . . . observe the place where he (Boaz) lies.  Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do" (3:3,4).  This is an incredibly bold and risky thing to do.  Ruth is seeking out Boaz as her redeemer -she is basically asking him  to marry her.  While there is that very great possibility of rejection and ridicule she obeys her mother-in-law, Naomi and does what she is told.

The result is quite beautiful. Boaz does the right thing and marries Ruth, they have a child and Ruth, the  Moab widow, becomes a part of Your great lineage, LORD Jesus!

Thank You, LORD God, for this most beautiful illustration of how You work in our lives.  Sometimes, especially when we are in the midst of difficulty it is hard to hang onto that truth. 

"One God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all" (Ephesians 4:6).

Help me today to see You at work in all the happenings of my life!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

The Saga of Samson

Reading: Judges15 - 21
My Verse:  "And he came up and told his father and mother, I saw one of the Daughters of the Philistines at Timnah;  now get her for me as my wife" (14:2).

Samson's story is so tragic.  He was such an impulsive, demanding man.  When he saw something he wanted, he demanded or simply took it - even when advised against it, even when it was against Your precepts, LORD God.  This story is so relevant to us today. It reflects the predominant thought of the day.  Society teaches us to appease our selfish desires, without regard to You.  We are to do whatever keeps us happy, or what we think will keep us happy.

He, Samson, saw this Philistine woman and wanted her.  His parents pleaded with him to not take this woman as she was not the best for him, but Samson persisted.  He did end up marrying her but it all ended very badly.  She betrayed him and married  his best friend.

Samson then decided that he loved Delilah, also a Philistine.  She, too,  betrayed Samson, not just once but many times and yet he stayed with her until she persuaded him to tell her the secret to his great strength.  She passed this on to the Philistine leaders.  They had his eyes taken out and made him a slave.

In the end Samson killed many of the Philistines in one last great effort but died himself in that event.

I never liked this story, because it seemed to me that Samson had no common sense.  And yet, here it is in the Bible.  Everything in the  Bible is there for my edification.  So what do I take away from this story, LORD God?  What I am to learn from it that helps me in my walk with you today?

I have been trying to see your hand in the daily events of my day.  This is often hard and confusing because I see so many things that should not be, at least from my point of view.  I know I need to get away from that.  I need to focus on You.  I need to focus on the fact of Your goodness.  We are wayward.  We do things against Your precepts, and more often than not make a great mess as Samson did. And yet You are at work in our lives.  If we will allow it, You will make things aright, even when it seems impossible.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

How I need to remember this not just for my own life but for those around me.  If someone belongs to You, LORD God, no matter how they mess up You will redeem them.  Thank You for this story of Samson.  Help me to always look to your goodness.  Help me to always remember that You have a grand purpose and I need to entrust myself and my loved ones to that grand purpose.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!