Ruth 4

Chapter 4 concludes the Book of Ruth; and the lessons and summary for this passage would basically be the same as those for the Book as a whole.

The repeated theme is clearly that "God Redeems"; and that Christ is our Kinsman-Redeemer, having bought us back by His Blood from spiritual poverty and slavery.  The Church becomes the Bride of Christ, and we are given the privilege of being co-heirs with Him.

The path that Ruth walked from TEARS to TOIL to TRUST to TRIUMPH is one that most of us at one time or another have walked; and we may even still be in one of those stages now.   But, overall, we can see that the road to triumph is filled with curves and bumps.  It is an unrealistic expectation that we would have the victorious Christian life without TEARS or TOIL.  But, as believers, we can balance that out with TRUST and Hope of TRIUMPH  (even if not here on earth; but ultimately in Glory).   The pain in the tragedies and trials help us to grow spiritually and can enable God to do His deepest work; and the experience and encounter with God's CHESED Love in the midst of difficulty is a glimpse of the true joy in Glory.

God's blessing to Ruth and Boaz, giving them the privilege of becoming the great grandparents of King David and ultimately ancestors of Jesus Christ, had to have far surpassed any "dream" they may have had for themselves.   This was basically the message of the book that I had read a few years ago, "Shattered Dreams - God's Unexpected Pathway to Joy" by Dr Larry Crabb; which was based on the Book of Ruth from Naomi's perspective.  Sometimes God allows our dreams to be shattered, in order to replace them with far "bigger dreams".

Fairy Tales

In "Captivating", John and Stacie Eldridge say that every little girl has dreams of being the beautiful princess.  Just looking at how Disney has been able to build an empire on fairy tales, is evidence of this.

We do dream of the epic romance with the happily ever after ending.  Of all the Disney princesses, I probably can identify with Belle, the kind-hearted bookworm, the most; but, it is actually Beast, not Beauty, that I truly can relate to.  Not that I am particularly beastly in appearance; but I often feel that the world does not see the inner beauty, which is a reflection of my Creator.

It can be disheartening and discouraging; but, it is important to look to the truths in Scripture, to pursue the characteristics that are precious in God's sight, and to remember what is of true worth.

Ruth 3

Ruth 3 illustrates that balance between taking action and waiting on God. 

We have seen Naomi transform from bitterness due to focus on SELF and her circumstances in Chp 1, to having hope and seeing GOD's blessings in Chp 2, and now to looking to help OTHERS, namely Ruth, in Chp 3.  

So, Ruth steps out in faith, and takes action to make known to Boaz that she is available to be redeemed in Levirate marriage.  But, the last verse leaves her in God's WAITING ROOM, to see which direction the curve ball in the game plan will turn, as Boaz goes to talk to the other closer kinsman-redeemer.

Overall, Ruth's and Boaz's godly and noble characters shine through the passage, trusting God to work all things out while taking action as needed.

Heart Trouble

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me." (John 14:1)

Sunday, our Assistant Pastor's sermon gave "God's Prescription for Heart Trouble" - to take God at His Word, to trust we are going to Heaven, and to remember that Jesus is coming back.   Since "man is born to trouble", as Job 5:7 says, we all encounter it in our lives.   But, God said to trust in HIM.  Amen!

There were also a couple of fun quotes from the sermon:

• "The word OOPS is not in God's vocabulary"
• "Talk to the left hand because you ain't right" (as his wife has said to him sometimes)

Lately, my heart has felt somewhat "troubled"; though I can't quite place my finger on what exactly is causing it.  It's probably a combination of the uncertainty and "fire drills" at work, my "thorn", feeling a little overwhelmed by responsibilities, a growing "to do" list, etc.  A reminder to not be troubled, and just trust is relevant.

I can also learn from the example of Ruth, to have a grateful and humble spirit.   God has blessed me so much - my class is continuing to grow, I have meaningful areas of service, etc.   Yesterday, I also had a good time of sharing and fellowship with a friend.  It was neat that she received an anonymous check in the mail in appreciation for her music - what a wonderful affirmation of her gift.  God truly does provide encouragement to us when we need it.

Ruth 2

If I were to choose one word to describe the lesson that stands out in the second chapter of the Book of Ruth, it would be "KINDNESS".

Through Ruth's kindness to Naomi, we see her mother-in-law's transformation from being focused on bitterness to recognizing God's blessing and lovingkindness.  Through Boaz's kindness, above and beyond the charity and compassion required by law, Naomi was able to find protection and provision, working in his fields.

It is admirable that Ruth did not wallow in self-pity, nor let the bitterness her mother-in-law felt prevent her from taking action to practically provide for them; and how she continually maintained a humble and grateful spirit in the midst of her toil and hard work.   It is also neat to see how God providentially worked to lead her to Boaz's field.

And, significantly, we are first introduced to the term "Kinsman-Redeemer", which is what Christ is for the Church - one who has redeemed us from spiritual poverty and slavery to sin.

Treasure

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."  (Luke 2:19)

After all that Mary had gone through with the challenging, though amazing, circumstances surrounding the Virgin Birth, what she heard from the shepherds on the glory of the LORD and the good news proclaimed of her child, Christ the Savior, must have provided reassurance and encouragement.

I have found that treasuring truth and words of encouragement, and pondering them in my heart have often helped me to face the doubts, fears, and discouragements I experience in life.  Frequently, when I look around, I sadly do see evidence of what God said in Isaiah 55:8 "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD."   But, I will cling to the truths in Scripture and remember the encouragement of the godly; whether or not the rest of the world sees it.

One such truth worth treasuring and pondering is: "For her worth is far above jewels." (Prov 31:10b)

Weekend Sept'10

It was a full weekend.  Sept 11, 2001 is not only the commemoration of the tragic events of 9/11, it is also our Church's 9th anniversary.  We had an all-church picnic with about 400 attendees.  One of the elders and organizers mentioned that it was like a glimpse of heaven, believers gathered together in the family of God.

Then, for the evening, I celebrated my parent's anniversary and brother's birthday with my family.  We decided to order take out from Wood Ranch.  The tri-tip was really good; and I'll know to order the baby back ribs instead of the beef ones next time.   It was great that they were able to provide a box of sweet potato fries, and their rolls were great.  The black beans, cole slaw, broccoli, mashed potatoes, and WR fries were regular.  The pan-seared salmon with soy sauce and brown sugar was tastier than the hardwood-grilled trout.

On Sunday, we had the Community Group Leader kickoff luncheon, with a Hawaiian theme.  Along the lines of the song I blogged about last week, the title of a book mentioned really says a lot "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat" by John Ortberg

In thinking of what to cook for the next COA outreach, I tried a new dish last night, and it turned out quite well.   It's a chicken with rice and vegetable stew.   I pan-seared the chicken with an herb rub, added vegetables (carrots and italian squash), covered with water to boil; and then added rice and cooked till done.  It was fairly easy, one-pot cooking; and had a lot of flavor.   Equal parts rice, meat, and vegetables work pretty well; and next time, it may make sense to add the it squash later, since it cooks faster than the other ingredients.   It reminded me a little of the dish that was made from the packages we put together for COTN - except, here we have real vegetables instead of dried beans.  I also just roasted zucchini; and cooked chicken in a pan with a hazelnut olive oil vinigraitte with herbs, onions, and garlic.  The reduction as the chicken cooked made a really nice lightly sweet marinade.  It's nice when dishes turn out well, and I do enjoy cooking.

Full weekends usually result in being even more tired than usual on Monday mornings; but, making memories and spending time with others are important parts of life.

Ruth 1

As we begin the new Bible Study series in the Book of Ruth this week, I can already see how the context of Judges provides added background and insight that I did not have when I previously studied this very familiar story.  Just Elimelech's name, which means "my God is King", is somewhat of an irony, since he, similar to the tribe of Dan, left his inheritance and Promised territory to go to Moab, an enemy country, just to escape the famine, which was likely God's discipline for Israel's disobedience.  Indications are that he likely wasn't living as if God was truly his King.

However, it is a reflection of Who God is, to have such a beautiful story of hope, love, and REDEMPTION (mentioned 23 times in this short Book), in the midst of the darkness and moral depravity of that time period. 

One of the things that seems to come out clearly in the first chapter, is that our decisions and attitudes can have a significant effect on our lives.   Elimelech decides to take his family to Moab, and his sons end up marrying foreign Gentile Moabite women and they end up dying in Moab anyways, despite having "escaped" the famine.  Naomi seems to only see the bitterness, emptiness, affliction, and misfortune of her tragic circumstances.  But, Ruth, makes a decision that Naomi's people would be her people and GOD her God, which ultimately lead from TEARS of tragedy to TRIUMPH of becoming the ancestor of King David and of the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5)

Walk on Water

Since the first time I heard the Britt Nicole song "Walk on Water", I felt like I could identify with it.   Most of us, like Peter, have probably, at one time or another, been in situations we felt were scary and impossible.  The song does a good job of bringing to life the story recorded in Matthew 14:
"'Lord, if it's you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.'  'Come,' He said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!'  Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. "You of little faith," He said, 'why did you doubt?'"  (Matthew 14:28-31)

I just hope that whenever Christ has called me to step out in faith; and I look around at the real challenges I face, I will not lose faith and begin to sink; but rather that I would continue to walk, keeping my eyes on HIM.

What great lyrics:


You look around
It's staring back at you
Another wave of doubt
Will it pull you under
You wonder

What if I'm overtaken
What if I never make it
What if no one's there?
Will you hear my prayer?

When you take that first step
Into the unknown
You know that he won't let you go

Chorus:

So what are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to hold to you

You know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all
It takes and you can
Walk on the water too

Verse 2:
So get out
And let
Your fear fall to the ground
No time to waste
Don't wait
Don't you turn around and miss out
Everything you were made for
I know you're not sure
So you play it safe
Try to run away

If you take that first step
Into the unknown
He won't let you go

(chorus)

Bridge:
(step out)
Even when a storm hits
(step out)
Even when you're broken
(step out)
Even when your heart is telling you telling you to give up
(step out)
When your hope is stolen
(step out)
You can't see where you're going
You don't have to be afraid

So what are you waiting,
What are you waiting for?

So what are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to hold to you

You know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all
It takes and you can
Walk on the water...
Walk on the water too

Labor Day '10

It was really good, and much needed, to have a day off for the Labor Day holiday.  While there were quite a few things going on over the weekend, I didn't feel overly rushed or too busy because of the extra day.

This is a reminder of why a day of rest is so important, and why we do need to take time to rest.   God knew that we needed this when He established the Sabbath day and provided the example by resting:  "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." (Genesis 2:2-3)

I'm also grateful that I had the opportunity to obtain a few of the things that I was looking for; and as often is the case, by what my family and I have come to accept as divine provision because it happens more often than what can be considered mere chance, I was able to get them on sale as well, at the Camarillo Outlet.

On Sunday, God provided me with some encouraging interactions.   I had a chance to catch up with the person who challenged me spiritually with regards to evangelism before summer, and I'm still continuing to read the book he gave me:  "One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven" by Mark Cahill.  God has been at work on my heart and mind related to evangelism; though, it has yet to become clear what He is preparing me for.

Also, my friend and her husband and kids took me out for a belated birthday celebration at Sango Sushi.  Being a casual restaurant, it was a good kid-friendly environment; and it turned out well.   She also baked a really good carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.   It was nice to spend time with her family, for I do not often get to spend time with children much.

God is gracious, and I can see how He provides me what I need.   I do pray for wisdom and guidance to know what to do; for, I did learn of something else a person in my class is going through.  May God help me to develop and grow as an effective and caring leader.