Just Report for Duty!

 Read Ruth 3

You know the story. We have talked some about kinsman-redeemers. That comes into play again, but I want to spend our time talking mostly about us.

In the next service, I will talk a little about doing what God tells us to do. If Ruth could follow Naomi’s instructions, can’t we do a little better at following God’s directions?

We pray and hope for answers, right?

We want to know what God wants us to do.

We want things to work out, right?

Or do we?

Do remember the Words of Jesus series that we just finished?  We began with putting the Words of Jesus into practice is like building your house on solid rock.

We wrapped up with take my yoke and learn from me. Both came with promises of assurance and then real rest—rest to the soul, but our part is to learn from our Master.

Do we really want to do this?  What if it takes us out of our comfort zones, because it will.  I like to say that we should only be comfortable in one comfort zone—the labeled GROWING.

We must be learning creatures. We are not just sitting on the back pew waiting for Jesus to return. We are learning and growing and reaping the benefits of those two things.

But what if we are not?

We read the bible. We sometimes read it more than once or twice a week. Some of you may still be faithful to the read your chapter every day challenge that we started in March 2020. That was 4 years ago.

But are we putting God’s words into practice? Are we taking his yoke? Are we learning from him?

Some of you know that I have done Lectio Divina a couple times over the years.  Attendance has always been low, and I have a theory as to why.

Lectio Divina is divine reading. It’s not a Bible Study. It’s letting God’s word speak directly to you without the filter of the preacher, teacher, lesson plan, or human personalities inserted into a discussion.  It’s that whole living and active deal. God will speak to you.

And I think that scares people.  Bible studies can soften God’s voice with opinions and perspectives. They can also help us become a workman approved as we are charged to be.

But, what if God speaks directly to us. What if…

He calls us to go to Africa or Asia or even Dill City to spread the good news.

He is telling us to forgive. Stop analyzing and trying to balance every equation so you don’t get hurt again. Just forgive.

He says, coach that team.

He says to take that class.

He says to teach that class.

He says to stop looking for a new job every few months and grow where you are planted.

He says stop chasing the world and just draw nearer to me.

He says just take them some food.

He says to take a dozen gospels home each week and give them out.

He says be known as my follower by your love.

He says to offer to say the prayer.

God is not going to tell you to mix the Kool-Ade and get the people to drink it.

He is not going to tell you to twist the word of God. That’s not who he is. He speaks in metaphor and simile. He uses Thou shalt and Thou shalt nots. He speaks without an audible sound or with the boom of thunder.

But he does speak and we don’t have to vet what he says. Much of what he has already said is in writing for us.  But sometimes, hearing his holy words spoken aloud speaks directly to our souls.

Naomi told Ruth to take a long bath, put on some good perfume, and go to the threshing floor. After Boaz finishes eating and drinking and settles in for the night—on the threshing floor—go lay at his feet and uncover them.

We will talk a little bit about what this means at the next service, but for now just know that she did what she was told and God’s plan for Ruth and Naomi—who thought God was disowning her—was falling into place.

You will probably get this Corrie Ten Boom quote at the next service as well, and another hundred times over how ever many more months I have with you, but here it is.

Don’t tell God what to do. Just report for duty.

Just report for duty!

Sometimes we are the cleaning person in the Windex commercial from the sixties and seventies. I don’t do windows!

Sometimes that’s what we tell God. OK, God, I will take a turn in the nursery but I don’t give out gospels. I don’t do windows.

Just report for duty!

We must trust that God knows what is best, wants what is best for us, and tells us what to do so we can be our best and live our best and truly bring glory to God while we do it.

Here’s the kicker. If we report for duty and follow orders, we should expect to enjoy God as we do what he says.

That’s some cool beans right there.

Do not be afraid to hear God and do what he says. We don’t do fear. We do want to please our Lord and Savior and Master.

We want to put his words into practice. We want to take his yoke and learn from him. Take Ruth’s example. She probably didn’t know the one true God that well but she knew her mother-in-law did and she told her what to do.

How about us?

Just report for duty. Just do it!

Just do it!

Amen.