“And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do…
“Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.” Ruth 1:6 Naomi received news that the famine was over and there was bread in her own country again. How she longed to return, to see her friends and taste the water from the well of Bethlehem. Packing up their belongings the three of them began walking until they reached the point where they could catch a last glimpse of Moab. There, Naomi urged her daughters to return to Moab to their families. She thanked them for their kindness and care for her and kissed them. She reminded them they were still young and that she was too old to provide other sons for them to wed. Together they wept as they thought back over the grief and sorrow, they had experienced. Beneath Naomi’s words was the feeling that she was to blame for what they had gone through. Verse 13: “for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.” The three…
“And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.” Ruth 1:3-5 Twenty-four years ago, my husband was in the hospital facing surgery. We had perfect confidence that he would come through it with no problems. But something went wrong, and he did not survive. I can remember how I felt as I realized that nothing would ever be the same. He was not only my husband, but my closest friend. Thankfully, I had a strong family to support me and a trust that the Lord was in control. For Naomi, it was a different story. She was in a strange land and had no family except her two sons. No doubt her heart was filled with fear and apprehension about the future. Questions probably arose. Was Elimelech’s death a punishment from God for them coming to Moab? How would she support herself and her…
“Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.” Ruth 1:1 The books of Judges and I and II Samuel record the history of Israel when they were experiencing trouble and turmoil because they were not obeying the laws of God. Each time their enemies attacked them, they would cry out to the Lord for deliverance, God would hear them and send a judge to lead them…
In Luke 11:9-13, Jesus says, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Throughout the New Testament, Jesus uses natural relationships (i.e. children and parents, husband and wife, etc.) to illustrate truths about the way God relates to us. He explains heavenly concepts through earthly imagery—Jesus was a master teacher. The illustration of the father-son relationship in the passage in Luke relates this important truth: As Christians, we are a part of the family of God; we are no longer servants begging for bread, but sons and daughters with the authority to raid the pantry and fridge whenever we get hungry. If this is true, why does spiritual destitution exist in the Christian walk at all? Often in prayer, we rush and miss its purpose—communion with our Heavenly Father. “Communion” means “the joining of mind and spirit.” When we enter genuine communion with God, we grow in our understanding of God’s nature and increase our faith in the goodness of God. When we have a proper understanding of God as He truly is, we run…
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26. Several years ago in Bible College, I developed an undeniable burden for a family member who had fallen away from God. I entered into a season of fasting and prayer for this individual, believing that God was going to do something miraculous in their life. One afternoon, I entered the prayer room, and a spirit of intercession came over me. I prayed for almost five hours; it was physically exhausting, and I felt like an iron ball was in my stomach, weighing me down, causing me to remain tethered to the floor. In those few hours, it was as though I felt all of the shame, heartache, fear, regret, and pain of my loved one. My burden was great. In my desperation, I cried out to the Lord, “Take this burden from me, it’s too heavy for me to bear anymore.” At that moment the Lord spoke to my spirit so beautifully said, “What you have felt for your family member, I have felt for…