Bible League: Living His Word So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.— Ruth 2:3 NLT Ruth was a righteous woman. She refused to stay in Moab with her pagan Moabite family when her Jewish father-in-law and her husband died. Instead, she decided to go with Naomi, her Jewish mother-in-law, back to Israel. She decided to put her future into the hands of the Lord. When Naomi urged her to return to her people, she said: "Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!" (Ruth 1:16-17). Upon their arrival in Israel, Ruth and Naomi were very poor. In order to make ends meet, Ruth decided to go out to the harvest fields of the Israelites and, as she put it, "pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it." (Ruth 2:2). "And as it happened," says our verse for today, "she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech." This seemingly chance occurrence eventually led to her marriage to Boaz, improving her fortunes and the fortunes of Naomi. More importantly, it led to her becoming one of the "grandmothers" of the Messiah (Matthew 1:5). Perhaps like Ruth, you've seen some hard times. Nevertheless, like her, you've stayed in the will of the Lord and relied upon Him despite everything. Although you probably haven't had to pick up stalks in the harvest fields, you may have done some things that were just as hard. Isn't it comforting to know that the Lord is superintending every move you make? God is good to those who love Him. When we are going forward, we can't see how it will all come together, but God can. And when we look back, we can praise Him for His providential care. In hindsight, our "chance" occurrences lay end to end like puzzle pieces that were cut to fit together—because they were. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingGenesis 38, 39, 40 Genesis 38 -- Judah and Tamar NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Genesis 39 -- Joseph's Success; Potiphar's Wife; Joseph Imprisoned NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Genesis 40 -- Joseph Interprets the Cupbearer and the Baker's Dreams NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Matthew 12:22-50 Matthew 12 -- The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath; By Their Fruit; Sign of Jonah; Who are my Mother and Brothers? NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year. Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored—and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the LORD your God. Insight The Bible makes the purpose of tithing very clear: It teaches us to fear the Lord and put him first in our lives. We are to give God the first and best of what we earn. For example, what we do first with our money shows what we value most. Giving the first part of our paycheck to God immediately focuses our attention on him. It also reminds us that all we have belongs to him. Challenge A habit of regular tithing can keep God at the top of our priority list and give us a proper perspective on everything else we have. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Isaiah 41:14 I will help thee, saith the Lord.This morning let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: "I will help thee." "It is but a small thing for me, thy God, to help thee. Consider what I have done already. What! not help thee? Why, I bought thee with my blood. What! not help thee? I have died for thee; and if I have done the greater, will I not do the less? Help thee! It is the least thing I will ever do for thee; I have done more, and will do more. Before the world began I chose thee. I made the covenant for thee. I laid aside my glory and became a man for thee; I gave up my life for thee; and if I did all this, I will surely help thee now. In helping thee, I am giving thee what I have bought for thee already. If thou hadst need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it thee; thou requirest little compared with what I am ready to give. 'Tis much for thee to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow. Help thee?' Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of thy granary asking for help, it would not ruin thee to give him a handful of thy wheat; and thou art nothing but a tiny insect at the door of my all-sufficiency. I will help thee.'" O my soul, is not this enough? Dost thou need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Dost thou want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit? Bring hither thine empty pitcher! Surely this well will fill it. Haste, gather up thy wants, and bring them here--thine emptiness, thy woes, thy needs. Behold, this river of God is full for thy supply; what canst thou desire beside? Go forth, my soul, in this thy might. The Eternal God is thine helper! "Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismay'd! I, I am thy God, and will still give thee aid." Daily Light on the Daily Path Colossians 1:19 For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,John 3:35 "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. Philippians 2:9-11 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, • so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, • and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Ephesians 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him. Romans 14:9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Colossians 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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