Ruth 1:21  
“I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty.”
I am reminded today of Naomi in the book of Ruth, and her life. This woman had everything she needed. A God who loved her and blessed her abundantly, a husband, two sons, and even two daughters-in-law. Naomi lost everything by leaving Bethlehem, but God didn’t stop using her there. Even though at first Naomi blamed the grieving of losing her husband and two sons on the Lord, “the almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.” I found myself relating more to this statement than any other in the chapter. Just like Naomi I find myself blaming God for the things that went wrong, but it was not God who had dealt bitterly with her; but she was reaping the fruit of the sin of disobedience. Naomi was but gleaning in the fields of a far country, away from the presence of God. God was not responsible for her misfortune, but He was responsible for voice that brought her back home. It was the grace of God that was responsible for the blessing that was to come to her now that she had listened to the voice and returned- “so Naomi returned…”(Ruth 1:19). Just like Naomi, I can find myself blinded by circumstances, feeling chained to people or things which are bringing me away to the fields in which God has not designed for me, that fallen nature and people have formed. Just like Naomi, having lost many loved ones and feeling as though God has given up on me or lost track of me in the mist of all His children, that is just the devil talking and taking ahold of her life at that time and my own in the times I feel as though those thoughts are true. Jesus never stops. He is always talking to us, its just a matter of us wanting to hear Him or not. “He will never leave us nor forsake us.” I can say that, many of the times I have been brought to my knees with tears running down my face have been after I have wandered off to far, or I have given up holding on to the chains of this world and all the baggage that comes with it. I fight it as long as possible, but I can just see and feel the love that over comes me when I give it all to Christ. He never asked us to carry or hold on to the things of this world but to give it all to Him and do it every day. He knows our weaknesses, our strengths even our biggest fears. He wants to deliver you and me, but our hearts and stubbornness gets in the way of all His grace and love.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IBS- PHILIPPIANS 3:8 “Yet indeed I also count all thigs loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” I am reminded of the Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” To hold onto the things of this world only hinders you. Your relationship with Christ Jesus, your walk, your mornings, and your everyday life. To gain the whole world but lose your soul is gaining nothing. To fight for anything of this world is going to get me nowhere if not led by the Lord. I have held on to so many things of this world, it has bonded me and there is a weight on my shoulders because of it. When I try to gain the whole world- I lose myself. I feel caught in a net with no way out. I can see the good in God, but I am to twisted and wrapped up in the ways of me that I can not figure out the way out. In Christ I have no bondage I have no net. To gain knowledge
Read more
IBS- MARK 10:46-52 “ Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” then many warned him to be quite; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” so Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garments, he rose and came to Jesus. So, Jesus answered and said to him “What do you want Me to do for you?” the blind man said to Him, Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.”   I relate to Bart in the sense of begging for Jesus to come back into my life and forgiving me once again for my sin
Read more
Colossians 3:23 “And whatever you do, do good work hardily as for the Lord and not to men.” Christians often talk about working for God, going on a mission’s trip for God, doing the ministry for God. Its good to talk that way. It’s biblical. We are promised that through Christ we will “bear fruit for God” and we are called to “work heartily as for the Lord, and not for men.” So, we should do things for God. But what does that mean? Sometimes when we talk about doing something for someone, we mean that we are going to meet their needs. So, if we talked about doing something for the poor, we mean we are going to meet the needs of the poor. But is that what we mean when we talk about doing things for God? When the Bible calls us to do things for God, is it calling us to meet God’s needs? That’s impossible, because God has no needs. Acts 17:24-25, “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served b
Read more