Ruth 3:10 “The LORD bless you, my daughter….This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier….”
I can learn a lot about trusting God and obeying Him from Ruth. I really think my gut-instinct would have been to do what Orpah did. After all, Naomi insisted they stay in their homeland. As a widow with no living sons, Naomi had no real hope of providing them with husbands or heirs. Even the belief system was vastly different, with the Moabites worshiping various gods while the Israelites followed the one true God. Yet Ruth was determined to go with Naomi.
Ruth 3:11 “…All the people of my town know you are a woman of noble character.”
And because she followed the one true God, because she stayed with her mother-in-law, because she trusted and obeyed, her kindness and noble character shine through her actions, and God is working through Boaz to ensure both Ruth and Naomi are taken care of.
Ruth 3:13 “…if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it….”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. It is so easy to cling to comfort and familiarity as Orpah did, and no one faulted her, but sometimes You call us to be brave and trusting like Ruth, stepping completely out of our comfort zone so that You can work through us. Help me to know Your will for my life, Lord. Help me to be bold, brave, and trusting when You call. Amen.
Ruth 3:15 …he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her….
Have a blessed day.
“May you be richly rewarded by the LORD…” (devo reflection)
Ruth 2:10 …She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”
Ruth was a foreigner in a foreign land. She lost her husband, was left with no chance of an “easy life” with her mother-in-law (also a widow, now with no surviving sons), and still chose to follow her mother-in-law back to her home country, chose to leave behind her home, family, and gods, and to embrace Naomi as family, and her God as Ruth’s own.
Ruth 2:11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with people you did not know before.”
She expects nothing, no kindness, no favor. She works hard to gather grain for herself and her mother-in-law. She’s a fledgling in her faith, and yet, God guides her to the field of Boaz, who sees her hard work, who understands her kindness towards Naomi, who shows her favor and wishes for her God’s kindness and favor.
Ruth 2:12a “May the LORD repay you for what your have done….”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for showing me the beautiful picture of Ruth’s fledgling faith. Thank You that we don’t have to be bible scholars to draw closer to You, to find favor in You. Thank You for allowing us to draw closer to You each day. Amen.
Ruth 2:12b “…May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
Have a blessed day.
An act of faith…. (devo reflection)
Ruth 1:16b “…Where you go I will go….”
Naomi’s family left the Promised Land (regardless of how long they might have intended to be gone); they agreed (maybe encouraged) their sons to marry Moabite women. Naomi felt God had dealt bitterly (though she seems to accept it as fair treatment) with her by taking her husband and sons. Even so, she releases her daughters-in-law and determines to go back to her country and her God.
Ruth 1:16c “…and where you stay I will stay….”
Somehow, through all of this, Ruth sees something that she is missing. She will not take the easy out Naomi gives. Even knowing the low position (a widow with no sons and no brothers-in-law) it puts her in, she stays with Naomi, pledging to make Naomi’s home, people, and God her own. What a tremendous act of faith.
Ruth 1:16d “…Your people will be my people, and your God my God.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for helping me to see this chapter with new eyes. I see Naomi humbling herself and going back to her land, drawing closer to You. I see Ruth, who doesn’t even know You, vowing through You to stay by Naomi’s side. Help me to remember that my actions speak my heart, even if I don’t say Your name. Help others to see You through my life. Amen.
Ruth 1:17 “…May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
Have a blessed day.
Individual desires and the greater good…. (devo reflection)
Judges 21:25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. (NIV)
Can you imagine what our world would look like if we self-governed by doing as we each saw fit? What a nightmare, especially if we are operating as if we have no Heavenly Father who is sovereign in our lives.
Judges 21:25 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. (NLT)
I recently heard a Canadian describe the difference between the American attitude and Canadian attitude as Americans are all about the rights of the individual while Canadians are for the collective good of the group. I definitely see that tension between individual desires and the greater good at present.
Judges 21:25 In those days Israel wasn’t ruled by a king, and everyone did what they thought was right. (CEV)
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. Thank You for showing me the reality of Judges 21:25 through the actions of the Israelites in Judges. Help me to operate under Your sovereign, loving, merciful authority and not my own judgement. Draw me closer. Amen.
Judges 21:25 There was no king in Israel at that time. Everyone did whatever they pleased. (GNT)
Have a blessed day.
Humility requires strength…. (devo reflection)
Judges 20:26a Then all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel, and there sat weeping before the LORD….
It is hard to be humbled, to be brought low. It is so difficult to admit, “I can’t handle this,” or “I messed up,” or “I need help.” Yet, if we are truly going to give God control, it is absolutely necessary.
Judges 20:27 And the Israelites inquired of the LORD….
In this self-sufficient world we live in, though, vigilance is necessary. And self-reliance can be insidious. I want to be able to take care of things by myself. I don’t want to be seen as weak. But God needs me to be strong in HIM, not in myself.
Judges 20:28b …They asked, “Shall we go up again to fight against the Benjamites, our fellow Israelites, or not?”…
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for reminding me of the need to be vigilant in my actions so that I can remain humble in You. Humility can be hard, Lord, because it feels like weakness, but being humble in You requires so much strength. Draw me closer. Amen.
Judges 20:28c …The LORD responded, “Go, for tomorrow I will give them into you hands.”
Have a blessed day.
Hospitality and compassion… (devo reflection)
Judges 19:1 In those days Israel had no king.
This was an incredibly disturbing chapter. It seemed to exemplify how people who don’t recognize God as the one true King might act, devoid of hospitality, devoid of human compassion.
Judges 19:12 His master replied, “No. we won’t go into any city whose people are not Israelites. We will go to Gibeah.”
I’m left contemplating what I can learn from this chapter, and I feel like hospitality and compassion for ALL are definitely among the lessons.
Judges 19:15 …They went and sat in the city square, but no one took them in for the night.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. Thank You for the ability to glean positive lessons even from a very disturbing chapter. Draw me closer to You always. Guard my heart and mind in You. Amen.
Judges 19:20 “You are welcome at my house….Let me supply whatever you need. Only don’t spend the night in the square.”
Have a blessed day.
All I need…. (devo reflection)
Judges 18:1 In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
Commentary suggests that the Danites has not claimed the inheritance set aside for them because they may have thought it too difficult. Unfortunately, I have also fallen into the trap of ease, thinking perhaps what I thought was God’s will for me maybe wasn’t because it was so much more difficult than I bargained for.
Judges 18:5-6 Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful.” The priest answered them, “Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD’s approval.”
But I think God does that to remind us that our strength is never enough to accomplish His will, that we will always need Him to walk where He leads us. We hope, like the Danites, for a breezy “Go in peace,” but God’s way, God’s work, often requires grit and determination. It often brings us to the end of ourselves, which is the only place we can truly recognize our deep need for Him.
Judges 18:24 [Micah] replied, “You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for reminding me that You don’t always call us to an easy path, but You always walk it with us. Help me to never become so confident in my own strength that I forget my deep need for You. Please don’t ever leave me sitting in the ashes of my own doing wondering ‘What else do I have?’ I have You, Lord. That’s all I need. Thank You. Amen.
Judges 18:26 …and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home.
Have a blessed day.
Not so different…. (devo reflection)
Judges 17:2 … “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have that silver with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “The LORD bless you, my son!”
Once again I am poised to lambast the people in this chapter because, to my way of thinking, they are acting like utter fools. Once again my Savior metaphorically taps me on the shoulder, whispering, “Look closer. They aren’t so different from you in some ways. What can you learn from them?” Sigh.
Judges 17:3 When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make an image overlaid with silver. I will give it back to you.”
Verse 6 is the one that really jumps out to me: “… everyone did as they saw fit.” That seems awfully close to letting your thoughts, feelings, and emotions run the show, but I know that doesn’t work. My feelings tell me constantly that I’m not enough, but I am seeking and striving every day to draw closer to my Savior, to know Him more, to glorify and praise Him. Jesus, Help me!
Judges 17:5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods and installed one of his sons as his priest.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for showing me areas in my own life that need work. Thank You for the beautiful mess that I am and for drawing me closer to You daily. Help me to put my trust in You and not in my thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Draw me closer. Amen.
Judges 17:6 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.
Have a blessed day.
Just like Samson…. (devo reflection)
Judges 16:6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
Part of me is truly incredulous that Samson keeps putting himself in these situations. How can a man set aside for God be so selfish and stupid? Another part of me is wrestling with fear, anxiety, and bitterness—again—pertaining to situations that should already be laid to rest.
Judges 16:15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me?…”
Just like Samson, I keep putting myself in this situation because I keep rehashing and fretting and worrying. Just like Samson, when I focus on myself instead of my God, life slips off-kilter. Anger, bitterness, fear come with an incredibly negative physical sensation. I feel like it’s God’s way of reinforcing that I should NOT be dwelling on these things leading to those emotions, so why do I find myself wrestling with them again?
Judges 16:27 Then Samson prayed to the LORD, “Sovereign LORD, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. I fully intended to write a scathing review of weak-minded Samson, but You have shown me that when I allow myself to get sucked up into negative emotions, I am no better. Thank You that You are the antidote to this spiraling abyss. Help me to focus on You—Your love, Your mercy, Your hope, Your will, NOT my own. Draw me closer. Amen.
Judges 16:30 …Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
Have a blessed day.
Hasty in my judgment…. (devo reflection)
Judges 15:3 Samson said to them, “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.”
Samson is not impressing me, which surprises me because my childhood memory of Samson was of a physically strong, attractive, flowing-haired servant of God. But the Samson I see here seems impetuous, willful, selfish and self-centered. He seems to wear his “set-aside-for-God” title as a cape of privilege instead of as earnest, loving obligation.
Judges 15:7 Samson said to them, “Since you’ve acted like this, I swear I won’t stop until I get my revenge on you.”
What is even more surprising to me is that even though Samson could star in his own episode of “Israelites Behaving Badly,” God still uses him mightily. Perhaps I’ve been hasty in my judgment. Perhaps I should be MUCH slower in writing people off because of their behavior. Perhaps God’s thoughts are not my thoughts and His “ways are far beyond anything” I can imagine (paraphrase of Isaiah 55:8).
Judges 15:8 He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock of Etam.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your willingness and ability to use us in Your kingdom work, regardless of other people’s opinion of our usefulness. Help me to look at others with love and not judgement. Draw us closer. Amen.
Judges 15:14-15 …The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him…. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.
Have a blessed day.