Author: Ginger Davenport

The Fruits of the Spirit-Joy

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Fruits of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

Joy (chara):

What is joy? Joy is cheerfulness. It’s seeing a baby smile and the uncontrollable giggle of a child. It is puppy kisses and kitten toes, wildflowers, and rainy days. But the joy of a Christian is more than that. It is deep awareness of God’s grace and favor. It is being able to smile even when facing the most horrible circumstances. It comes from a place of thanksgiving and of laying our burdens at the feet of the Savior who endured the pain that we deserved. When we sit at the feet of Jesus there is joy inexpressible. His voice is quiet, and His confident presence reminds us that no one can separate us from his love.

Peter says in I Peter 1:8-9: “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Friends, there is nothing that brings me more joy than knowing that my future is secure in Christ. It was how the first century Christians were able to stand firm in their faith when they were persecuted, and why many went to their deaths willingly when they were told to deny Him.

The pure presence and nearness of God is joy. It is only found when we quiet our minds of all the distractions of the world and lean into the Word of God. The more time we spend with Him, the more aware we are of His grace towards us which causes our hearts to burst with joy.

There have been a few people in my life who embodied this type of joy, and it wasn’t because their life was easy. Their joy came from pure gratitude for another day of life and resting in assurance of the love of the heavenly Father. Two of these people were called to our heavenly home at a young age and I can only imagine how they rejoiced when Jesus drew them into His arms. And yet there wasn’t a day on this earth, even in the toils and the difficulties, that they didn’t have the biggest grin on their faces. I want to have that kind of joy. Not joy that is determined by circumstances, but joy that comes from inner peace. That is Christian joy.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say rejoice.” Philippians 4:4

The Fruits of the Spirit

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Fruits of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

 Love: (agape)

What is love? It is a word that is difficult to define. It encompasses affection and benevolence, but so much more. Listed as the first of the fruits of the Spirit, it is the foundation upon which all the other fruits are built.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  I Corinthians 13:4-7.

Love sees another in their affliction and has compassion. It gives preference to the other person’s needs. Love does not envy or boast but wishes the best for the other person. Love celebrates the accomplishments of others, cries with them in their sorrow, holds them in their grief, and speaks hard truths.

When I think about love, I ask myself, how do I live in a way that displays the deepest kind of love that can only come from Christ? As I sit at the feet of Jesus, I look into His eyes and try to see the world as He did. He opened his arms wide to every soul He encountered. Thieves, drunkards, liars, adulterers, fornicators, cheaters, murderers, the self-righteous…He did not condone their sin, but told them to believe and repent. Then He went to a cross, where He offered himself as a sacrifice so that they could be forgiven and redeemed from their sin.

The love of Christ is the essence of the gospel. It sets us free from our own evil desires and brings us back into a relationship with the Creator. This freedom brings peace from striving to live up to the false standards and expectations of the world. Having this peace sets our minds at ease and makes it easier to live from a place of love and compassion. The love of Jesus wipes away all bitterness and wrath from our hearts and transforms us.

Love does not fail. I Corinthians 13:8

 

You Make Beautiful Things

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Panorama of the Grand Tetons with reflection in lake

You Make Beautiful Things

You make beautiful things.
From nothing you formed the world.
Tiny lights in the midnight sky form galaxies afar,
Waters deep with hidden treasures,
Lofty peaks of snow-capped wonders,
Cascading waters over bulging boulders, waves upon the sand,
Imagination, so vast, revealed by the stroke of your hand.

Cycles set in motion speak of order You have made,
Snowflakes melt to rushing creeks, evaporate into rain.
Spring brings forth bright colors, purples, reds and blues,
Life flourishing in every corner, all is fresh and new.
Summer heat, the rain is scarce, life struggles to survive,
Autumn breeze, cooling rain, preparing for what’s to come,
Winter freeze, harsh cold snow, hope for life after death,
All these rhythms you’ve designed, declared by the sound of your breath.

All around we see your beauty,
A smile from a stranger, a child’s first words,
A husband who brings flowers,
A mom who knows just what to say,
The steady voice of a father,
A friend who is never far away,
Whispers that say, “I love you”,
Conversations in the dark of night,
All these things we hold so dear,
Speak of your marvelous delights.

Life passes by like a rushing wind,
There are bumps and rocky roads.
But along our path you hold us, with hands so great and gentle,
And give us words of wisdom that tell us the way to go.
You give us strength and give us love, oh Master of the world.
Precious moments that show great care,
You are glorious, You are awesome, You are there.

 

Who is this God?

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Who is this God?

Since the beginning of the year, I have been reading through the Old Testament, asking myself the question, who is this God? This God who claims to be sovereign over the whole earth, with ultimate power and authority, what are His attributes? Is His grace as abundant in the Old Testament as it is in the New? As women of faith, can we trust Him? My answer is a resounding “yes!”

As I read through my journal today, I am reminded of just how big our God is. To begin, here are a few of my observations.

Who is this God?

1) He is the one who created the earth. He brought forth the sun, moon, and stars that shine down upon us. Brilliant balls of glowing fire twinkle across an expanse so deep we cannot imagine its ends. He made the breadth of the sea, swarming with life so colorful, not even the brightest rainbow could compare. God made the flowers and trees with thousands of species, clothing each hillside with its own unique attire. Then He made the animals, some playful, some fierce, yet living in a circle of perfect cadence. Finally, He made His crowning jewels. Us. The Trinity-God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, looked down and said, “Let Us make man in our image, after our likeness.” More beautiful than all creation, He made man and woman and placed them in a garden where every need was supplied. Then He looked down on His creation and said that it was good.

Genesis 1:1– “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

John 1:1– “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”

John 1:14– “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

2) He is a god who is just. Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve when they fell to the temptation of Satan.  This broke God’s heart . After all, He had created us as His crowning jewels to live in eternal communion with Him. Yet, God’s perfect justice required punishment. Adam and Eve were banished from the garden of Eden and man was separated from God. At first glance, one might ask how a loving God could punish them. But think back to a time when evil went unpunished and ask yourself if you want to live in a world without justice. If we are honest we would all answer no. The truth is, every human is unrighteous, on the same playing field with even the evilest of evil. James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law, but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”  Thankfully, God’s justice is perfect justice. He will not allow evil to go unpunished and this is a good thing.

3) He is sovereign, a god who possesses supreme and ultimate power. He alone has authority over all the earth, and He is Lord over His creation. That means He is Lord whether you have acknowledged Him as Lord or not.  His purposes and plans will not fail, and He has not left them up to chance.  Throughout history, God raised up men of faith to carry out His plan in order that salvation could be brought to a stubborn and unworthy people. Each and every act in the Old Testament, points to the coming of Christ, and the ultimate plan God had to save His people.

4) He is the one who justifies the unjust. At first this seems like a paradox. And yet, when we sit in the tension of God’s requirement for justice and His willingness to offer himself as the means for our justification, it brings us to our knees.  He is a god slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and forgiving. He offered grace to His people, not because of their righteousness, but in order that His covenant with Abraham would be fulfilled and that He would be glorified. (Deut. 9:1-8). This was a supreme act of mercy and one that could only come from a perfect, holy God.

Ephesians 2:4-10 : “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were DEAD in our trespasses, made us ALIVE together in Christ—by faith you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no man may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

5) His is a god whose glory shines like no other. He went to extremes to have the Israelites build a tabernacle grand enough to inspire our imaginations to think of heaven. And yet we can only imagine what it will be like to sit in His presence. When I think of the most beautiful things of the world, I’m reminded that God is a god who makes and loves beautiful things. This world is full of beauty—a colorful sunrise, snow covered mountains, the rise and fall of the ocean tide crashing against a white caped beach, a baby’s smile. He is a god who wishes to bless us with good things. He has placed evidence of His love all around us…the glorious beauty of a high mountain valley full of wildflowers,  the vast expanse of the heavens, the smile of a stranger, and the familiar touch of a loved one. He has set a table full of extravagant blessings that our human minds can barely imagine. Even as I sit here my mind struggles to think of words to adequately describe His love for us, and I can only think of the one Lover of my soul.  After all, He is the one who took my dry bones and brought them back to life, washed me as white as snow and made me a new creature. Friends, Jesus alone is worthy to cup our fragile hearts in His hands and carry us to eternity.  He did this so that His glory would shine like the sun.  All glory to God in the Highest and to His Son Jesus Christ!

As the old hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’s blood and righteousness.”

“In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” I John 4:10

Praise God for His sovereignty, and His love. Praise Him for His grace and mercy which was extended to His people from the beginning of time!

Gratitude in Waiting

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Lightening flashed in the dark window and the rain started to pour. Stuart and I counted the seconds until the thunder boomed in the distance. One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three-one thousand, four one-thousand, five-one thousand.

“That one was about a mile away,” Stuart said as we lay in the dark.

I smiled. “I love thunderstorms.”

“Me too,” he replied.

Lightening flashed again as we snuggled up close in anticipation of the storm. The remnants of tropical storm Pamela were upon us, and a cold front was headed our way this October night. As a kid I recall many October nights such as this waiting in anticipation for a blast of cooler air to make its entrance in blessed relief from the long, hot summer.  Fall has always held a sort of magic for me. Here in south-central Texas, summers are long and miserably hot. Waiting for the first cold front of the season can feel like waiting for a snail to cross the sidewalk. September comes and the rest of the country experiences leaves changing colors and “jacket weather”, while here, we continue to swelter in our shorts as our A/C’s attempt to keep up with the 90-degree heat.

But perhaps there is something to be learned in the waiting. I have been studying the covenants of the Bible—promises God made to His people to shower them with His love and grace. Abraham was promised a son from whom would come a great nation of people, and yet waited until his wife was 100 years old to conceive his promised son Isaac. Moses was promised that he would lead the Israelites to the promise land, and yet the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before seeing the promise land. David was promised that he would be crowned king of Israel, and yet again, he waited until God’s timing was perfect. It seems that sometimes it’s the waiting that makes the thing we are waiting for so special.

The thing about God is that He is always faithful. In the waiting we learn to trust. The patriarchs waited in faith, believing that God would fulfill His promises, and He did.  And when the storm comes, we can be assured that the blast of cooler weather is on the other side, that there will be relief from scorching pain that can sometimes be our lives. Whatever hardship you’re experiencing, be assured that God loves you and holds your well-being in His heart. After all, He created falls-with cooler temperatures, and a brilliant display of color, reminding us of His creativity and beauty. He created pumpkins and pumpkin spice, warm cookies, and soup. And He created you. Today I am thankful for the waiting because it means God is working on something amazing! And I’m grateful for His everlasting grace and love. Take time to enjoy the season! It is His gift to you!

 

Who is this Christ?

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Who is this Christ?

For the past 8 months, I have been slowly reading through the gospels, asking myself the question, who is this Christ? It is the most important question anyone could ask themselves. After all, whether we believe it or not, Christ was a man who changed the world. His life on earth dictated everything. His life changed how our calendar is arranged and provided wisdom to the masses. Christ indeed was a good man, full of wisdom and truth about how we should live together and love one another. He is the one who reaches for the marginalized, who sees our whole life and wants to give us eternal life (John 4:1-38). He sees us and knows us and still wants to draw us to himself.

He was the one who healed a man on the Sabbath, knowing that He would be ridiculed by his own people.  Christ is the one who is compassionate towards our physical needs. He fed the 5000, not because they deserved it, but because he loved them (John 6:1-15).

Who is this Christ? He is the one who sees right through my heart. When we are more focused on self and physical comforts, he gently calls us to turn back to him and focus on the things of this life that are most important (John 6:16-40). He was rejected by His own people, and yet had the power to forgive them of their own spiritual blindness and self-righteousness.

Jesus alone is the one with the words of eternal life. He is the bread of life (John 6:35) and the one who will raise us up on the last day.  Christ has freed us from sin (Galatians 5:1). He has fulfilled the law and made it possible for us to be justified apart from works of the law (Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse himself (Galatians 3:13).  He has made it possible for all to receive the blessing of Abraham and the promised Spirit by faith. (Galatians 3:14).

So, what is faith?

It is confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). It is acknowledging a power so great that even the wind and the waves obey His voice. It’s looking up into the stars and knowing He is there or watching the sun set knowing that His timing is perfect. It’s believing that the synchronization of breath and life and the blood running through our veins could only come from Him. Faith in the Almighty, I AM is so much greater than action equals reward, because when we have faith in Him, it’s about seeing and discerning the love of a Father who built this world so that He could dwell with us. From the Garden of Eden, to the tabernacle in Exodus, to Solomon’s temple, to the incarnation of His Son, and the establishment of His church, God seeks for His people to have a relationship with Him. Oh yes, He wants to reward us for our faith. But he is not a God to be bartered with like the pagan gods. He is a God whose perfect justice could not ignore the sin of mankind, yet made a way for our redemption through His perfect mercy and grace. It’s knowing with full assurance that the covenant God made with Abraham, applies to us, and believing that God keeps His promises. For each one of us, deserving of death, He gave His own Son that we might have life. Faith is believing that the only way to life is through the powerful working of the blood of Christ and believing that there is nothing that could ever be done by any of us to earn His mercy. True faith, like Enoch, and Abraham and Moses, is confidently placing our lives in His hands and giving our obedience to say “yes, God, I want to be a part of Your story.” Faith in God is knowing Him so surely that we cannot help but obey, because in the daily walk with Him we have learned that the more we seek Him, the more our hearts want to glorify Him in everything we do.

“For without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

Fighting for Life

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Life. When does it begin? It is celebrated in its smallest forms. Tiny feet. Tiny toes. We post pictures of our sonograms on Facebook, rejoice when we hear the tiny heartbeat on the ultrasound, stuff pink or blue ribbons in boxes and have parties to reveal the baby’s gender. We prepare the nursery, complete with the baby’s name across the wall. Life. It is celebrated in the pulsing of tiny feet pushing against a mother’s womb. Celebrating life is universal across cultures, languages, and religions.

When I turn on the news and hear the angry voices of women screaming for their right to take the life of their unborn baby, it makes me angry. With every argument posed, I wonder, but what about the baby? Why is a baby celebrated as life in one instance, and viewed as a blob of cells in the next? Taking the life of an innocent one is always murder. Plain and simple.

But the news also makes me sad. I 100% recognize that for some women, finding out they are pregnant does not initially cause them to celebrate. For those of you in situations in which you feel trapped, I see you and acknowledge that your situation is complex. Maybe you’re in an abusive relationship or struggling to make ends meet. I acknowledge that these scenarios are not easy or simplistic. You’re living with pain and fear that no one should have to live with or experience. God sees you too. He loves you and wants to offer you a way out. But you don’t have to resort to abortion, legal or otherwise. You do have a choice.

For the woman who was raped, your choice was taken away from you. If this happened to you, I am sorry they took away your choice. You are living the unthinkable. God sees you in your suffering and He wants you to find healing. But causing additional pain or suffering by taking the innocent life of your child will not bring you healing. Believing this, is believing a lie. Hurt never heals hurt. One wrong does not make another wrong right.  By contrast, God makes all things new. Jesus sees you in your suffering, just like He saw the woman at the well. He longs to wrap you in His arms and heal you. He can, if only you will lean on Him. Trust in Him and the salvation He offers. No one on earth is more equipped than Jesus. He rose from the dead and He will raise up your dry bones and bring you back to life. He will make a way. Perhaps healing will come in the friendship you form with a woman who desperately wants a baby but can’t have one, one who is willing to love your baby as their own. Or perhaps, in giving birth, you will look into the eyes of your Creator and know that God brings beauty from ashes through love for a tiny human you never thought was possible.

You can choose abstinence, but for those who choose not to be abstinent, you can choose contraceptives, which are more readily available than they ever were in times past.  In these cases, yes, it is your body. It is your choice.  This option should remain available, even if there are some who believe using contraceptives is wrong. Taking away this option for those who do not agree with those religious beliefs would be truly taking away your choice.

For those who have gotten pregnant unexpectedly and face financial difficulty or an abusive relationship, you can choose adoption. Millions of women are waiting to give your baby love and life.  It is one of the beautiful ways, God can turn a difficult situation good.

I know none of these options are ever 100% perfect. We live in a society that doesn’t always support motherhood and we need to do better. But let us not forget the life of the baby. You don’t have to choose death. Fight for life.

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” -Psalm 139:13-14.

Rejoice in Bethlehem

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The world is a chaotic place. Suffering abounds in almost every direction, and it feels like things are becoming more and more broken. The truth is the world became broken a long time ago. It happened in ancient times, in a garden that God made perfect. Adam and Eve lived in perfect relationship with each other and the Lord. Can you imagine? No sickness, no violence, no evil. Paradise.

Enter Satan. Powerful at deception and lies, he convinced Eve to take a bite of the forbidden fruit. She convinced Adam to do the same. The one thing he required of his people was respect for his laws. Now, his law had been broken. God in his perfect goodness was required to execute justice. Mankind, now fallen, became subject to live in a broken world. But was it forever?

Ruth, in her brokenness, found herself in a similar predicament. She had lost everything and now found herself widowed and without a provider, a Moabite living in a foreign land. Her situation was not much different from ours.

Just like Ruth, we are:

1) Widows struggling to survive in a world where Satan is powerful. He goes about seeking who he can devour. I Peter 5:8: “Be soberminded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.”  We are vulnerable. The truth is sin will eat you alive. Its pleasures are fleeting and temporary and will lead to our destruction both in this life and in the life to come.

2) Unable to save ourselves. Ruth was at the mercy of her situation. Yes, Boaz had taken notice of her, but her future was still insecure. How long could she glean in his field before she would be turned away? We might be able to scrape by without too many acute consequences. People live in sin all the time without truly suffering. Yet the Bible teaches that a life of sin leads to chronic and everlasting consequences. Death and eternal suffering will eventually catch up to us without intervention. What is the answer? Is there any hope?

The story of Ruth teaches that there is reason to rejoice in Bethlehem!  The beautiful thing about the story of God and the story of Ruth is that He has not left us hopeless.

Just like Ruth, we need a redeemer. Ruth needed a redeemer who had the right, the resources, and the resolve to redeem her, and God’s law made this possible.

Leviticus 25:24-27: “If a brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest kinsmen will redeem what he has sold.”

Deuteronomy 25:5-10: “If a brother dies and leaves a wife, she shall not be married outside of the family, her husband’s brother will take her and marry her so that the name can be carried on.”

Boaz met all these requirements!

When it seemed like all was lost, Ruth was given the opportunity to surrender in faith to God’s plan. She presented herself as a servant and Boaz showed her kindness. Ruth 3:9: “And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” In the original language, the word “hased” translated kindness encompasses love, mercy, goodness, loyalty and self-lessness. Boaz’s response to Ruth is a picture of God’s love for us.

And just as God provided for Ruth, He has provided for us! Jesus meets all the requirements to redeem us!

Jesus has the right to redeem us.  “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1: 15-16).  Jesus is God and therefore, has all authority. “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” (Colossians 1:18)

Jesus has the resources to redeem us. Under the old law, a perfect sacrifice was needed to redeem the people from sin, to reconcile them to God. Jesus lived a life completely free of sin. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) Therefore, Jesus was the perfect solution to the dilemma of sin.

Finally, Jesus has the resolve to redeem us. He walked into Jerusalem knowing that his ultimate fate would be death on a cross. Philippians 2:6-8 (ESV) says: “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Praise God, we can rejoice that a baby was born in Bethlehem, who would ultimately become our Savior and bring light to a sinful, dark world. His sacrifice brought redemption and His resurrection gives us hope that we too will rise to eternal life.  Praise God, for His glorious plan! Have you placed your faith in him? Rejoice in Bethlehem, He is waiting to save you!

Vacation Dreaming

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Bright sunny days, mixed with cold, chilly nights. The flowers haven’t quite started blooming and winter still leaves its mark.  But hints of spring are starting to emerge from the cold. The days are longer, and the trees are budding.

With the weather changing, I find myself daydreaming of vacation. A few weeks ago, I took down Christmas (yes, we wait until after the Super Bowl-because winter and all that comes with it is loved in our house) and re-decorated for spring. I added bright daisies to my dining room table and entryway. They wave to me every day when I get home from work. Simple, small flowers have me dreaming of high mountain valleys and snow-capped peaks.

As a child, preparation for vacation was almost as fun as vacation itself, and it started early in spring. You see, we weren’t the family that went to a different place every year. We were the family that found a place we loved and kept going back, year after year. We found a place that felt like a second home and that served as a get away from the norms of everyday life. It was a place where beauty merged with quiet, peaceful release and allowed us to focus on one another. The Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Family vacation meetings started long before the scheduled trip, which usually took place in early June.  Mom would make the reservations and soon what we called “Colorado fever” set in. Planning commenced, usually with my brother and I daydreaming about a special activity, like horseback riding or a special night at our favorite (but more expensive) hotel in Trinidad, CO that had a big indoor pool and a view of the Sangre De Cristo Mountain range out the back windows.  It was the one time a year we combined our allowances to serve one common purpose. Dreams turned to reality as we learned the value of a dollar saved.

Memories of my childhood vacations are some of my most precious. To this day, the sound of a rushing creek, or the quiet solitude of a mountain top makes me feel safe. Because in the rush of the creek I hear my family’s laughter. I hear the ponderings of my ten-year-old self, wondering why the river flows in a certain way and the gentle answer of my mother’s voice telling me about the Creator who made it to do so. By the river I hear the echo of our voices singing hymns to God, and my dad’s steady voice reading and teaching us scripture. There were solemn moments of learning life lessons, and belly laughs at crazy jokes only the four of us would understand.

Special memories abound from my childhood, and now flow over to adulthood. In those same mountains, my hubby and I have started to create our own memories. And while we may not always go to the same place, we have started prioritizing vacations together.  And so right now I am dreaming. Dreaming of the day we can escape from every day routine and take time just to connect with each other. After all, isn’t that what life is all about? Human connection. 100 years of living is worth nothing without the people we love. Are you dreaming of vacation? What are your favorite vacation memories?

Abide in Bethlehem

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Ruth Chapter 2:

You’ve received the diagnosis, put to rest your loved one, come to grips with reality. The suffering you’re enduring is not going away. Day by day passes and you pray for comfort or a resolution of your anguish. Relief seems far away as you wait for God to move.

So, what do you do in the waiting? I can imagine Ruth and Naomi in their suffering. They have placed their faith in God and returned to Bethlehem, all the while wondering how God will move. How would He heal their brokenness? How would they manage as they waited for God?

First, Naomi and Ruth did not become paralyzed with fear, but moved in faith. According to the Levitical law if a woman was widowed and had not had children, the nearest male relative was to marry her to maintain the family name (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Naomi knew of a kinsman of the clan of her husband Elimelech who could fulfill this law by marrying Ruth, one who could be a kinsman redeemer. Ruth, understanding this, told Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” (Chapter 2:2). Ruth stepped out in faith, believing that God would provide, and He did. “So, she set out to come to the part of the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz.” (Chapter 2:3). God’s providence led her to the field of a kinsman redeemer.

Second, Ruth did not give up on God, but held on with perseverance. She gleaned in the field of Boaz from early morning until Boaz took notice (Chapter 2:7). The scripture does not say exactly how long she gleaned, but the response of the reapers seems to indicate that she had worked for quite a while with only a short rest (Chapter 2:7).  The truth is that sometimes the wait is long. Romans 5:3 says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Ruth did not give up on God.

So, what does the story of Ruth teach us about God? As the story unfolds, the providence of God, his provision and his love are evident. His character is revealed in the details.

First, in our physical and spiritual brokenness, the Lord sees us in our suffering, and he does not turn away. It was no accident that God led Ruth to the field of Boaz and that Boaz noticed her (Chapter 2:5). Boaz saw Ruth, even in her shame and suffering, and God sees us.

Second, in our physical and spiritual brokenness, the Lord shelters us under his wing. Boaz tells Ruth, “The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, whose wings you have come to take refuge.” (Chapter 2:12)

Third, in our physical and spiritual brokenness, the Lord serves us at his table. Chapter 2:14 says, “And at mealtime, Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” As illustrated in the 23rd Psalm, we are welcome and invited guests at the Lord’s table. He fills our cups until they are overflowing.

The truth is the Lord looks down on us when we are spiritually fractured with compassion and grace. When we place our hand in His, accept his grace and step out in obedience we can find comfort in knowing that we are not alone in our suffering. His providence will sustain us as he showers us with kindness, mercy, goodness, and self-less loyalty.  The greatest lesson we learn from Ruth is that God, our kinsman redeemer, has sent himself in the form of His Son to save us from our sin.

Are you struggling to see God in the waiting? Abide in Bethlehem. Jesus is in the details. He sees you, shelters you and provides for you.  Are you physically hurting? Abide in Bethlehem. Jesus will weep with you. Are you struggling with shame and sin? Abide in Bethlehem. Jesus sees you and wants to redeem you.