Saturday, December 15, 2018

December 15

There are Bible studies that have changed the direction of my life and increased my faith. I’ve learned to dig through the scriptures and find beautiful tidbits of information that God left there just for me. The scriptures are living! Every word of scripture comes out of the mouth of God and is useful in our everyday lives. There is a warning to this; if the Holy Spirit doesn’t reside in you, some scriptures may not make a whole lot of sense. You can’t read it alone! Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it could become a regular book from off the shelf to some; even though God’s word never returns void. All this to say, if you can’t hear God’s voice, you’re not reading His word. Start with a Bible study that helps you dig. One of my favorites was called Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. If you decide to pick it up, don’t get overwhelmed by it, just take it a little at a time. I can’t wait for you to begin hearing God’s voice!

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Friday, December 14, 2018

December 14

I’m sitting here in my little bubble, contemplating an island getaway for a few days, when I know that there are people struggling all around me. I wish I could help them all, but some things only God can fix. When life begins to go south, does your faith go that direction too? If that happens to you, look back on those memorial markers, you know, the ones He told you to build so that you never forget how He held back the water so you could walk across on dry land. I have many, but there is one that I’ve marked “important.” If you follow my posts, you probably know that my first husband died leaving me a widow at thirty-one. However, most don’t know that the disease he died from was quite contagious. When I look back and see how God protected me and my son from it, I am astounded! Imagine the fear that gripped me while I was waiting on test results, not only my own, but my sons! I’m overwhelmed with tears, even as I write this. I’m so thankful to be alive. Look back on your memorial stones, especially the ones you’ve marked “important,” and use that to strengthen your faith in Him, and to help you get through your current struggle.


"And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day."  Joshua 4:9

Thursday, December 13, 2018

December 13

We all have times that we don’t feel appreciated. We go out of our way to help someone, show love when we don’t feel lovable, give comfort when we need to be comforted, clean up messes we didn’t make, do things when we have no interest, and the list goes on and on. We have such a short life, if only we could do what pleases us all the time, unfortunately, that’s not how it works. There is one who sees all, and appreciates everything you do, and He is the only one who counts anyway. Because Ruth loved Naomi, she treated her with love and respect. The people of Bethlehem saw it, and more importantly, they told Boaz, and he commended Ruth for the kindness she showed Naomi. If you haven’t noticed, in this story, Boaz is a picture of God. We should fall on our face in thankfulness for His kindness to us, and for showing us love when we don’t feel loved.


Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”  Ruth 2:10

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

December 12

Watching love blossom is a beautiful dance. Though we may not see the details, we do get a glimpse by the outward expressions to one another. In Ruth chapter two, we start to see the beginnings of a budding relationship, though it is still early, Boaz’s kindness to Ruth shows us the kind of man he is. He warns her not to go to any other field because his servants will offer her protection from possible assault. As she is gleaning behind his harvesters, he charges them to leave a few extra stalks as she trails behind them. Not only is this a love story between Boaz and Ruth, but it is God’s love story to us! If we stay in God’s fields, where the harvest is plentiful, He offers protection. What I find is, we get into trouble when we leave His cover, and try to glean in a field that doesn’t belong to Him. Other fields might be psychics, fortune tellers, card readers, and any other source that is not of the Lord. Be careful, and stay under Gods covering.


"Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women."  Ruth 2:8

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

December 11

You never know what direction God is sending you. Often, what we envision for ourselves is totally different than God’s plan. I remember that while my husband was sick and dying, I would try to imagine what my life would be like without him. I started daydreaming about what I could do or where I could go. I never pictured myself with anyone else, it was always just me alone with my son. I started driving around looking at homes in different neighborhoods, all along thinking about what I was going to do. Never in my wildest dream did I see myself remarrying, especially not a man with three small children. But God in His infinite wisdom saw my need, and their need, and put us together, making us a family of six. Ruth may have had a little separation anxiety with Naomi, but God used that to send her down the path He wanted her on. If you think your future looks bleak, just hang on, it will turn around, and it will be quicker than you think!

And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. Ruth 1:18 


Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:18

Monday, December 10, 2018

December 10

Now that our children are grown, some have families of their own. One in particular has married, and is now divorced. He is divorced from his wife, but I’m not divorced from her. I love her as if she were my own, and have loved her since before they were married. If she decides to remarry, it is my hope that they will both be a part of our family. God doesn’t draw a circle around who we are supposed to love, and I’m thankful for that. I feel like we have a bit of a Ruth and Naomi relationship. Ruth was Naomi’s daughter-in-law, but after her husband died, her obligation to her also died. Naomi tried to get Ruth to go back to her family, but she refused. The Bible says she clung to her. She was determined to stick it out with her to the end, saying “where you die, I will die.” Naomi was still there when Ruth remarried! That is a Godly kind of love! As far as my son is concerned, God will work that out.


Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. Ruth 1:17-18

Sunday, December 9, 2018

December 9

We are on this pathway directed by God, but sometimes the enemy will throw us a curveball, or we will choose poorly and head down a different path. God in all His goodness will redirect us bringing us back to the straight and narrow. I’m reading the book of Ruth, and I’m finding so many great morsels of wisdom. What if she had wallowed in self pity after her husband died and not followed God’s plan for her life? Ruth was a grandmother in the ancestry of Jesus. Would He have used someone else in His lineage, or would the timing be different? Only God knows. She gathered herself, teamed up with her mother-in-law Naomi, and got to work in an effort to stay alive. She didn’t know her future would bring her a wealthy farmer as a husband. If she had lingered in her bereavement over her loss and had not made a move, she might not have met her redeemer when she did. Don’t grieve your situation for too long, pick yourself up and begin moving forward.


"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."  Proverbs 16:9