Read Ruth 3:1-7
Naomi realizes she will not always be there to watch over Ruth and wants to make sure Ruth is taken care of. She wants to find a husband for Ruth and who better than Boaz? She knew Boaz would be at the threshing floor because that was the custom. Winnowing happened at night because the wind was the strongest at night and was needed to blow the chaff away. This was also the time of celebrating and thanking God for the harvest. Many workers would be there for the party. Ruth would not be out of place here since she had been a part of the harvest. After much celebrating there would be a meal, then everyone would sleep on the threshing floor.
Naomi instructed Ruth to wash and anoint herself and put on clothes. This is a spiritual cleansing and change of garments as well as a physical one. Naomi wanted Ruth to be of a pure heart and totally submitted to God. She wanted her to have the aroma of a king's daughter. (It reminds me of how Joseph did the same thing when he came out of prison and was going to present himself to the pharoah.)
Ruth was to watch where Boaz laid down and when he had gone to sleep, she was to go over and uncover his feet and lay down and wait till he told her what to do. This was a Jewish marriage law. If a man refuses to marry a widow in his family, he is to take off his shoe which symbolizes his refusal to his right of possession of her. Ruth is reminding him that by not trying to redeem her, that is what he is saying.
Ruth asks no questions but simply gives her total trust in Naomi and replies, "All that you say to me I will do. And she did.
Boaz has 3 choices: he can reject her and rebuke her for her forwardness, he can send her to the closer kinsman, or he can accept her proposal and marry her. Talk about putting yourself on the line. Ruth kept walking the path and never wavered. She had decided a long time back to follow Naomi wherever she went and that her God would be her God. I wonder if she knew she was going to be asked to lay down under some man's feet?
Once we make the commitment to follow God there is no end to the seemingly-ridiculous-things God will have you do only to result in supernatural-wonderful-fulfillments. God loves those who take risks. I dare you to take some!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wed. Devo - Come to the Table
Read Ruth 2:13-23
Ruth always takes the low road: "Let me find favor in your sight, my Lord, for you have comforted me, and you have spoken friendly unto your handmaid, though I be not like one of your handmaidens." Boaz invites her to eat with him, the owner of the field. He offers her bread and vinegar to dip her bread into. The vinegar is a sweet refreshing wine that was and is still served in the field in Italy during harvest. So, in essence, he is inviting her to the Lord's table where bread and wine is served. We are invited every day to this table. The Lord's supper is not to make us sad and sober but to refresh us for service. Boaz wanted Ruth to feel like a part of the family, not like the foreigner she was. Jesus is showing us how to treat new converts. Then Boaz told his servants to drop some grain on purpose for her. This reminds me of how God treats new believers: He makes it easy for them. Ever notice how new Christians seem to get all their prayers answered. Well, here is the prototype. God is trying to encourage them and welcome them into the kingdom. Their time of fighting and contending will come later when they are mature.
Ruth gleans a whole ephaph which is about 4 gallons of barley! Naomi is pleasantly surprised and asked about how she could glean so much in a day and whose field did she glean in. Ruth tells her about Boaz and the events of the day. Naomi gets excited because Boaz is a close relative. What fate! She gleans in Boaz's field through the barley harvest and through the wheat harvest.
This is a picture of what we are to be doing until Jesus comes back. We are to be busy in God's field. Sometimes that field looks like our family and sometimes it looks like random people we come in contact with during the day. Wherever we are we are to be feasting in the presence of God and gleaning enough from our time with God to feed ourselves and enough to give out to those God puts under our care. If we don't follow close to the source we will not get the things God drops down for us. Lord, we receive out of your bounty that never runs empty.
Ruth always takes the low road: "Let me find favor in your sight, my Lord, for you have comforted me, and you have spoken friendly unto your handmaid, though I be not like one of your handmaidens." Boaz invites her to eat with him, the owner of the field. He offers her bread and vinegar to dip her bread into. The vinegar is a sweet refreshing wine that was and is still served in the field in Italy during harvest. So, in essence, he is inviting her to the Lord's table where bread and wine is served. We are invited every day to this table. The Lord's supper is not to make us sad and sober but to refresh us for service. Boaz wanted Ruth to feel like a part of the family, not like the foreigner she was. Jesus is showing us how to treat new converts. Then Boaz told his servants to drop some grain on purpose for her. This reminds me of how God treats new believers: He makes it easy for them. Ever notice how new Christians seem to get all their prayers answered. Well, here is the prototype. God is trying to encourage them and welcome them into the kingdom. Their time of fighting and contending will come later when they are mature.
Ruth gleans a whole ephaph which is about 4 gallons of barley! Naomi is pleasantly surprised and asked about how she could glean so much in a day and whose field did she glean in. Ruth tells her about Boaz and the events of the day. Naomi gets excited because Boaz is a close relative. What fate! She gleans in Boaz's field through the barley harvest and through the wheat harvest.
This is a picture of what we are to be doing until Jesus comes back. We are to be busy in God's field. Sometimes that field looks like our family and sometimes it looks like random people we come in contact with during the day. Wherever we are we are to be feasting in the presence of God and gleaning enough from our time with God to feed ourselves and enough to give out to those God puts under our care. If we don't follow close to the source we will not get the things God drops down for us. Lord, we receive out of your bounty that never runs empty.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tuesday's Devo - Our Story
Read Ruth 2: 1-12
Naomi had a kinsman who was wealthy. His name was Boaz. Ever noticed that when the Bible spoke of a godly man it says: "his name was____________" and when it speaks of an ungodly man it says "and __________ was his name". So we know that Boaz was a godly man. He was a scholar of the Torah and one of the judges appointed over Bethlehem.
In verse 2 it says that Ruth offered to go glean in the fields after the reapers. In Lev. 19:9-10 it is a law that when you reap the harvest of your field, you should not reap the corners of the field nor gather what falls on the ground after the gleaners; leave them for the poor and stranger. Every law has a spiritual truth. What God was saying is that the field is the world and the reapers are the angels. One day they will reap to the four corners of the earth and every man will give an account. Until that day, they reap only in part and they leave what falls out. It reminds me of the great disasters that happen today. They are only in isolated places and there are always those who survive. It is God's mercy to let some fall and not be reaped yet.
Ruth just happened to glean on Boaz's field. And Boaz just happened to have just gotten in town and decided to go check on his fields. And he just happened to notice Ruth and ask about her. (There are no "just happens" with God. God strategically orchestrates our lives.) When Boaz asks his workers about her and they tell him her whole story and how she is kin to Naomi. He asks Ruth to come back and always glean in his fields. I wonder if he fell in love with her at first sight? He promises her safety from harm and water to drink.
Boaz is a type of Jesus and Ruth is a type of the Gentile church. She feels unworthy to receive such grace being a stranger. The early church felt the same way. They accepted a Jewish saviour and a Jewish law to become a believer. Ruth was the stranger coming into a Jewish culture and accepting its God. In verse 12 Boaz seals her salvation when he says: "The Lord recompense your work, and may the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to trust give you a full reward."
Ruth is our book. The book of the redeemed!!!
Naomi had a kinsman who was wealthy. His name was Boaz. Ever noticed that when the Bible spoke of a godly man it says: "his name was____________" and when it speaks of an ungodly man it says "and __________ was his name". So we know that Boaz was a godly man. He was a scholar of the Torah and one of the judges appointed over Bethlehem.
In verse 2 it says that Ruth offered to go glean in the fields after the reapers. In Lev. 19:9-10 it is a law that when you reap the harvest of your field, you should not reap the corners of the field nor gather what falls on the ground after the gleaners; leave them for the poor and stranger. Every law has a spiritual truth. What God was saying is that the field is the world and the reapers are the angels. One day they will reap to the four corners of the earth and every man will give an account. Until that day, they reap only in part and they leave what falls out. It reminds me of the great disasters that happen today. They are only in isolated places and there are always those who survive. It is God's mercy to let some fall and not be reaped yet.
Ruth just happened to glean on Boaz's field. And Boaz just happened to have just gotten in town and decided to go check on his fields. And he just happened to notice Ruth and ask about her. (There are no "just happens" with God. God strategically orchestrates our lives.) When Boaz asks his workers about her and they tell him her whole story and how she is kin to Naomi. He asks Ruth to come back and always glean in his fields. I wonder if he fell in love with her at first sight? He promises her safety from harm and water to drink.
Boaz is a type of Jesus and Ruth is a type of the Gentile church. She feels unworthy to receive such grace being a stranger. The early church felt the same way. They accepted a Jewish saviour and a Jewish law to become a believer. Ruth was the stranger coming into a Jewish culture and accepting its God. In verse 12 Boaz seals her salvation when he says: "The Lord recompense your work, and may the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to trust give you a full reward."
Ruth is our book. The book of the redeemed!!!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monday's Devo - The Best is Yet to Come
Read Ruth 1
Verse 1 begins, "in the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a sever famine came upon the land." which tells me two things: they were doing "whatever seemed good to them" and they were not pleasing God or there would not be a famine. A famine always means God's judgement because the people are dying for a lack of truth (bread). "Bethlehem" means "house of bread" and they have to leave there and go to the land of Moab because there is no bread. The Moabites were the ancestors of Lot's incestruous relationship with one of his daughters. Elimelech and Naomi have 2 sons: Mahlon (which means "sick") and Chilion (which means "pining and destruction") What a picture of the state of Israel. Elimelech dies and the two sons marry Moabite women Ruth and Orpah. "Ruth" means "friend" where "Orpah" means "stiff-necked". Ten years later both Mahlon and Chilion die. The number 10 means a test or a judgement. The time of testing for God's children is over and now there is bread in Judah.
Naomi decides to go back. He daughters-in-law decide to go with her. On the way Naomi tries to discourage them from going with her. They are faced with the decision every person is faced with... try God and the unknown or go back to the world and the familiar. And true to human nature one decides to follow and one decides to go back. Orpah turns and Ruth remains. Ruth goes into her most quoted speech. She vows to go where Naomi goes, to become one of her people, follow her God and die where she dies.
When they get to Naomi's home town everyone welcomes her with great joy. She changes her name from "Ruth" meaning "pleasant, grace, beauty" to "Mara" which means "sorrow" because she has lost everything. She feels much like the disciples did after Jesus had died....lost and alone. In fact, it is the same season of the year. Passover has passed. The hope is in the last verse: "They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest." The barley harvest means Pentecost which is the birth of the church. This whole book is a book to the church fortelling its story. If only Naomi knew the best was yet to come!
Verse 1 begins, "in the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a sever famine came upon the land." which tells me two things: they were doing "whatever seemed good to them" and they were not pleasing God or there would not be a famine. A famine always means God's judgement because the people are dying for a lack of truth (bread). "Bethlehem" means "house of bread" and they have to leave there and go to the land of Moab because there is no bread. The Moabites were the ancestors of Lot's incestruous relationship with one of his daughters. Elimelech and Naomi have 2 sons: Mahlon (which means "sick") and Chilion (which means "pining and destruction") What a picture of the state of Israel. Elimelech dies and the two sons marry Moabite women Ruth and Orpah. "Ruth" means "friend" where "Orpah" means "stiff-necked". Ten years later both Mahlon and Chilion die. The number 10 means a test or a judgement. The time of testing for God's children is over and now there is bread in Judah.
Naomi decides to go back. He daughters-in-law decide to go with her. On the way Naomi tries to discourage them from going with her. They are faced with the decision every person is faced with... try God and the unknown or go back to the world and the familiar. And true to human nature one decides to follow and one decides to go back. Orpah turns and Ruth remains. Ruth goes into her most quoted speech. She vows to go where Naomi goes, to become one of her people, follow her God and die where she dies.
When they get to Naomi's home town everyone welcomes her with great joy. She changes her name from "Ruth" meaning "pleasant, grace, beauty" to "Mara" which means "sorrow" because she has lost everything. She feels much like the disciples did after Jesus had died....lost and alone. In fact, it is the same season of the year. Passover has passed. The hope is in the last verse: "They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest." The barley harvest means Pentecost which is the birth of the church. This whole book is a book to the church fortelling its story. If only Naomi knew the best was yet to come!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Sunday's Devo - Grace is Magical
I love when God sends random people into my life to pour something into me. That happened Friday. I had gone to work out and it was cardio day so I was on the treadmill doing my 5 miles. My ankle started hurting and I thought I could just run through it and it would stop but instead it got worse. I finally had to give it up and stop. I remembered I had my bathing suit with me so I decided to go sit in the whirlpool to help my ankle. A man was swimming in the swimming pool and came to the whirlpool. We were the only people in the area. He started talking to me and ended up giving me his testimony. He was a traveling magician named "Al". He had been in drugs and all kind of sin in the 70's and got saved. This caused his wife to divorce him. When she lost everything she called him. She was so amazed at what God had done in him she decided to remarry him and accept Jesus. So they have walked with God since then. They attended Rhema in the 90's and have been in ministry for years. He has been on David Letterman, worked in Branson and opened for many famous people. Now he goes around to schools doing assemblies. He makes the principal disappear and if you want to see her come back you have to go back that night. At the nightly meeting he and his team present the gospel.
I sat in the whirlpool turning into a prune and about to pass out of heat wraptly listening to his story. He told about how God met his needs along the way and the line he kept using was, "Your provision is at the place of your assignment." I knew that was the word for me. He was talking about money but what about grace and ability? I make window treatments and other things and I am always being challenged to do something new. I am constantly calling on God's grace and creative ability. It is always there when I need it.
I remember in college the professors would show us art work done by the seniors and I would think I could never do that, but when the time came I could and did. Looking too far ahead is not good. Grace comes at the time of the need and is always on time. It is "magical"....it appears out of nowhere!
I sat in the whirlpool turning into a prune and about to pass out of heat wraptly listening to his story. He told about how God met his needs along the way and the line he kept using was, "Your provision is at the place of your assignment." I knew that was the word for me. He was talking about money but what about grace and ability? I make window treatments and other things and I am always being challenged to do something new. I am constantly calling on God's grace and creative ability. It is always there when I need it.
I remember in college the professors would show us art work done by the seniors and I would think I could never do that, but when the time came I could and did. Looking too far ahead is not good. Grace comes at the time of the need and is always on time. It is "magical"....it appears out of nowhere!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Saturday's Devo - The Rest of the Story
Read Ps 91
Psalms 91:1 is the "911" for God's children: "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty."
Last week-end I told you about our temites and our IRS ordeal. The termites were going to cost $1,200 to treat. We were visiting our next-door neighbors and they told us that we should check our contract on our house because they were pretty sure we were covered for 5 years. Since our house is only 3 years we should be covered. We did and we were. We called them and they treated our termites for free! The IRS told us we owed $14,000 back taxes from 2007. We are still looking into it but it looks like it will only be $500 and I'm still praying for the penalty being waived and the $500 being lessened. We didn't do it on purpose. Needless to say $500 is much, much, better than $14,000! Our God is good. We should find out the final figure this week. My husband is thrilled! He said next year we are going to pay someone to do our taxes. I say, "Amen".
Today's Psalm from me was Ps. 91. I read it out loud to Dave in the New Living Bible and we both rejoiced. God defeats the enemy for us. He is our strong deliverer. He rescues us from every trap. His faithful promises are our armor and protection. We do not have to be afraid of the arrows of the enemy or the disater that strikes. Even though people are falling all around us, these evils will not touch us (Swine flu). If we make the Lord our refuge and our shelter, no evil will conquer us. God's angels will protect us wherever we go and hold us up in their hands.
"The Lord says: I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer: I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation." Ps. 91:14-16
Have a blessed Saturday!
Psalms 91:1 is the "911" for God's children: "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty."
Last week-end I told you about our temites and our IRS ordeal. The termites were going to cost $1,200 to treat. We were visiting our next-door neighbors and they told us that we should check our contract on our house because they were pretty sure we were covered for 5 years. Since our house is only 3 years we should be covered. We did and we were. We called them and they treated our termites for free! The IRS told us we owed $14,000 back taxes from 2007. We are still looking into it but it looks like it will only be $500 and I'm still praying for the penalty being waived and the $500 being lessened. We didn't do it on purpose. Needless to say $500 is much, much, better than $14,000! Our God is good. We should find out the final figure this week. My husband is thrilled! He said next year we are going to pay someone to do our taxes. I say, "Amen".
Today's Psalm from me was Ps. 91. I read it out loud to Dave in the New Living Bible and we both rejoiced. God defeats the enemy for us. He is our strong deliverer. He rescues us from every trap. His faithful promises are our armor and protection. We do not have to be afraid of the arrows of the enemy or the disater that strikes. Even though people are falling all around us, these evils will not touch us (Swine flu). If we make the Lord our refuge and our shelter, no evil will conquer us. God's angels will protect us wherever we go and hold us up in their hands.
"The Lord says: I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer: I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation." Ps. 91:14-16
Have a blessed Saturday!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday's Devo - You are a Seed.
Read Acts 28
Paul and his shipmates find themselves shipwrecked on the island of Melita which means "of honey: escaping". The people are barbarious but friendly. They are also very superstituous. When a snake bites Paul they think it is payback from the gods because he has done some henious crime. But Paul doesn't die so now they now think he is a god. They were housed by the wealthy leader, Publius. His father was sick with disentery so Paul prayed, laid hands on him and healed him. This started a whole healing line of all who were sick in the village. They stayed 3 months there and left. (I'd say they left the place better than they found it.)
I love verse 14 because you can tell by the fact that they found fellow believers there and decided to stay longer that Paul is no longer a prisoner being ordered around, but he is a leader making the decisions. He has gained respect of leaders and people all along his journey because signs and wonders follow what he preaches. Even when Paul arrives in Rome he is treated differently. He is not put in jail with the others but gets to stay with a soldier by himself.
Paul finally gets to speak. This time he has no accusers and is given total freedom to teach his doctrine out of his own home. What a set-up by God!
I couldn't help seeing that the number 3 came up 4 times in this chapter. God has a purpose for everything under heaven and God has a purpose for numbers. The number 3 means "conformed into the image of". On the 3rd day of creation God created seeds and plants and he said that whatever seed you plant will yeild that plant. Paul has been planting the seeds of salvation all along the way. Now is it time for the plant to look like the seed. Paul is in his last years of ministry. He spends them watering the seeds he has planted. They will look like him.
What seeds are we planting? Will we be pleased when we see the grown plant? I pray so.
Paul and his shipmates find themselves shipwrecked on the island of Melita which means "of honey: escaping". The people are barbarious but friendly. They are also very superstituous. When a snake bites Paul they think it is payback from the gods because he has done some henious crime. But Paul doesn't die so now they now think he is a god. They were housed by the wealthy leader, Publius. His father was sick with disentery so Paul prayed, laid hands on him and healed him. This started a whole healing line of all who were sick in the village. They stayed 3 months there and left. (I'd say they left the place better than they found it.)
I love verse 14 because you can tell by the fact that they found fellow believers there and decided to stay longer that Paul is no longer a prisoner being ordered around, but he is a leader making the decisions. He has gained respect of leaders and people all along his journey because signs and wonders follow what he preaches. Even when Paul arrives in Rome he is treated differently. He is not put in jail with the others but gets to stay with a soldier by himself.
Paul finally gets to speak. This time he has no accusers and is given total freedom to teach his doctrine out of his own home. What a set-up by God!
I couldn't help seeing that the number 3 came up 4 times in this chapter. God has a purpose for everything under heaven and God has a purpose for numbers. The number 3 means "conformed into the image of". On the 3rd day of creation God created seeds and plants and he said that whatever seed you plant will yeild that plant. Paul has been planting the seeds of salvation all along the way. Now is it time for the plant to look like the seed. Paul is in his last years of ministry. He spends them watering the seeds he has planted. They will look like him.
What seeds are we planting? Will we be pleased when we see the grown plant? I pray so.
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