This was a
short journey but full of challenges for us in these modern times. Here are the links to the scripture and
messages.
Be blessed!
Seeing
the image and likeness of God
You
have survived 100% of your worst days ever…
Showing posts with label Boaz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boaz. Show all posts
Friday, May 24, 2024
Romping Through Ruth
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.
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!
You have survived 100% of your worst days ever...
Read Ruth 4
Naomi means pleasant or
pleasantness. She wanted to be called
Mara because Mara it meant bitter and surely the Lord was unhappy with
her.
She was having a poor, poor,
pitiful me moment or series of moments. She was ready to throw in the
towel.
But she didn’t.
She returned to her country, to the
land of God’s Chosen People.
She brought a daughter-in-law with her
who said she would follow her and her God—the one true God.
She gave Ruth very explicit
instructions on how to present herself to Boaz—a man eligible to redeem them
and a godly man.
She is now taken care of in the way
set forth by God and still honored by his people.
And here is the kicker. At the end of
this short book, Naomi was holding a baby in her arms and rejoicing with the
other women. She was holding Obed who would father Jessee who would father
David, who would be king.
OBTW—that line keeps on going and
brings us the Christ.
So, just for the moment, consider
Naomi’s experience and realize that you have survived 100% of your worst days
ever.
Naomi had to leave her home country
just to survive. She lost her husband. She lost 2 sons. She was a widowed woman
in a man’s world in a foreign country when we first met her.
She surely had a shirt or whole
wardrobe that said: WORST DAY EVER, and got to wear it frequently.
But we find her with a baby in her
arms rejoicing with the other women as we conclude this book. She made it. She
survived this very unhappy journey. She made it.
Do you remember Hagar
after Abraham kicked her to the curb—sent her into the wilderness? She had
thrown in the towel, but an angel told her that God would provide for her and
her son. He would even become great and have many children.
She survived, and then some.
Naomi survived. We don’t see
repentance over her bad attitude. We don’t see a testimony as to how God used
everything for the good.
She survived and became full of joy.
What did the psalmist
tell us? Sorrow may last for the night but joy comes in the morning.
Your pain and your sorrow may seem
overwhelming right now, but morning is coming.
Your struggles and efforts to keep the
faith seem insurmountable at the moment, but morning is coming.
The physical struggles, mental
anguish, and emotional baggage that comes with so much coming at us for so
long, make us consider just giving up.
We become stoic.
We harden our hearts.
We hedge our bets on this prayer stuff
and start bargaining with God.
Or, and this is a big or:
We take one more step forward trusting
in God. We might not be happy about our situation but we trust in the Lord and
keep on going.
You may or may not be able to imagine
some of the conversations that I have in any given week. More than
half—probably pushing three-fourths are with people who do not or seldom attend
here. These words come up frequently.
Terminal cancer.
Nursing home.
Water shut off.
Power shut off.
Can’t afford to fix my heat or air.
No job.
The marriage is over.
House burned down.
Somebody close to me died.
I got fired.
Somebody is in jail.
Car is broken.
Car was repossessed.
And many of these things come in
combinations—an unhappy meal if you will. I will have the broken car, water
shutoff, and marriage on the rocks. Upside the fries, I need to clog my
arteries to really make this the worst day ever.
Where do many people go when they
don’t trust the Author of their story?
Seek refuge in drugs or alcohol.
Hold an ongoing pity party.
Become bitter.
Become apathetic.
Quit their jobs.
Quit trying to parent.
Join the Complainers Union.
Throw in the towel on hope.
And yet, everyone with whom I talked
has survived their worst days ever.
I have seen this in meme form in a few
places with a few variants all of which say don’t give up. Remind yourself that
you have survived 100% of your worst days ever.
This is Memorial Day weekend. Memorial
Day is to remember those who gave the last full measure of devotion.
The timid mourn the death of those who
gave their lives for them. Those warriors who remain celebrate that these men
and women once lived.
Today, as we navigate and negotiate
our lives, I remind you that we are among the living. Nobody has draped a flag
over your coffin yet.
You have been given today.
You made it.
At my 50th high school
reunion, we noted that 11 out of 44 in our graduating class had already passed.
Some said we have lost a fourth. That’s a true statement, but so is we still
have 75% here today.
Let’s remember those who have gone
before us but celebrate that we are here now.
God still has something for you to do
as part of being known as his follower by your love. You still have something
to do to bring glory to his name.
I missed seeing a close friend from
long ago who said he would be there at the alumni. He would not respond to calls
or texts. After getting in touch with his brother, I found out that he was
hospitalized with cirrhosis of the liver.
That was bad news but worse was that
he had a picture. This man who was the same age as me looked 30 years older and
like he had already been embalmed.
I have had some stuff happen to me,
but this photo said WORST DAY EVER.
Our class held a time for prayer for
him. He is home now, but far from recovered. Prayers continue, but he made it.
He survived that worst day ever.
When I saw the picture, my thoughts
went to traveling to Arkansas for his funeral. But he is still here. He
survived what I thought was a worst day ever and he had to live it.
Sorrow may last for the night but joy
comes in the morning.
For some, that joy is to be with the
Lord.
For some, it’s miraculous healing and
a testimony to give.
For some, it seems like we just keep
putting one foot in front of the other not sure when this trial will end. But
we do press on.
You are here. You made it this far.
You didn’t come this far to throw in the towel.
God has good plans for you.
God will never stop loving you.
You are his for all eternity.
Celebrate the fact that you have this
day of life.
Do not become bitter over your trials.
God will use them for good.
Do not give up on your walk of faith.
With every step you take towards God,
he is faithful
to come towards you. I’m sure he takes bigger steps.
Do not become weary. Harvest is coming. Joy is coming. The fullness
of life is still here for us.
Some of you know the Casting Crowns
song, Thrive.
Consider this part of the lyrics.
We know we were made for so much more
Than ordinary lives
It's time for us to more than just
survive
We were made to thrive
You survived to see another day. Now
live it to the full. Lean into life. Press on. Thrive.
Don’t quit.
Don’t get bitter.
Don’t get cynical.
Don’t give up.
You made it this far. God has more for
you. In hindsight, you will think of most of these trials as small stuff. Maybe
not now, but one day, your trials will be nothing to the glory that you know in
the presence of the Lord.
You made it this far. You survived
100% of your worst days ever. Press on.
Amen.
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Kinsman-Redeemer
Read Ruth 2
And so we
come to a term not used much in the Bible, but of importance to us. The term is
kinsman redeemer. To understand it, we need to understand the word redeem.
To redeem is
to compensate for something in one definition, but the concurrent definition is
to regain possession of something. For instance, you pawn your guitar because
you are a musician, and if you want to be a good musician you have to do this at
least once in your lifetime if you want the lyrics to come later on.
You get your
hundred bucks from the pawnbroker, which just happens to be what you told your
wife you paid for the instrument, and you receive a pawn ticket. What’s the ticket for?
You may
redeem your guitar with this ticket and a specified amount of cash. You have
the right to redeem the property within the specified time.
Back in the
day, when you finally filled that book with S&H Green Stamps, you could
redeem them for a toaster, or an oven mitt, or a Corvette—if you saved enough.
You could
be redeemed by a close relative, if somehow, you had sold yourself or your property because they were out of money. Most of the instructions involve
calculating the time between the redemption and the Year of Jubilee,
and thus the price of redemption.
A kinsman
redeemer could also be a brother who stepped into the role of a deceased
husband to give his brother’s wife a child.
And so we
come to the fact that every Christian must wrestle with: Jesus
redeemed us from the curse of the law. The law was not and is not bad, but
it was obtainable
only by Jesus. We do our best to do what God wants us to do, but we
continually fall short.
We fall
short of complying with the law.
We fall
short of getting close to the intent of the law.
We fall
short on those things that God tells us to do as he answers our prayers.
We fall
short of putting the words of our Master into practice.
We fall
short of taking the yoke of our Master and learning from him.
We fall
short on so many things, but God did not leave us there. He does not leave us
there.
But we are
redeemed.
The person
who was not able to make it in the world and had to sell property or themselves
just to survive could be redeemed. The redeemer did not have to ask how did
you get into such a mess?
That
question may come later or that discussion may have transpired already, but at the point of redemption, all that
matters is relationship and means. Are you a close relative and do you have the
cash? The transaction required a close family relationship and some cash.
Whether the
one being redeemed was just a hard luck story in progress or the sum of
consecutive bad decisions did not come into the equation. Are you a close
relative and do you have the means?
If the guy
in debt or otherwise without means was a real bum, the kinsman redeemer might
not want to redeem him or might just seize the opportunity to increase his
holdings.
We see
Christ as our Kinsman Redeemer. He is Savior, Lord, Master, Friend, Priest,
Intercessor, and more. But he is our Redeemer as well.
He is
bringing us into his Father’s family as was intended all along. That makes us
kin and Jesus is our Kinsman-Redeemer. We are now related by blood, blood that
was shed for our atonement.
This Kinsman
Redeemer concept is part of taking care of your family. God does this and
continues to do this. We take care of our families on a regular basis.
We need to
have eyes to see those who are in our family. It’s growing with each profession
of faith.
God is
redeeming people from all over the world every day. He is redeeming people
right here in western Oklahoma as well. We must welcome them and disciple them
and be brothers and sisters to them for they are now kin.
The story of
Ruth continues with what approaches something of a courtship. It concludes with
Ruth coming into the line of David and the Christ. It is good to know stuff.
Today, my
challenge is to take this simple story and give you a challenge or charge to
apply in today’s world. How about this?
You are
redeemed. God thought you to be worth enough to pay a huge price to reclaim you
from sin and death and bring you into his kingdom. You have been redeemed from
your sin and death because of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world. He took the sin of the entire world upon him and died in our place.
You have
been redeemed!
So, whenever
you are feeling good, don’t forget to thank God for your redemption.
Whenever you
are feeling down and out, don’t forget to thank God for your redemption.
Whether you
feel up or down, always be inclined towards thanksgiving for we have been
redeemed.
We have been
redeemed. God has said that you matter. While humankind was given over to
sinful ways, Christ died for us. You matter.
We are
redeemed in the blood of Jesus.
We are
redeemed!
Let us
continue to invite others to be redeemed and join the family of faith.
We are
redeemed!
Amen.
Friday, May 10, 2024
Who are these people?
Read Ruth 2
What have we
gotten ourselves into? Ruth looks like a short book, but do we know if it’s
history or just a story, perhaps a story with a lesson.
If it were
fiction, what would be the significance of Ruth coming into the line of Christ?
So if we hold the line of Christ which we have canonized in our Bibles, should
we not also hold this story as historical as well?
There is a
lot of stuff out there. I’m going with this as an account not a work of fiction
for some teaching purpose. The Good Samaritan didn’t end up in the lineage of David
or Christ. That’s a story with a purpose which also happens to be a
parable.
Ruth, I put it in the historical category. It is part of the story of God and his people. Yes,
we are an odd bunch now and again and again and again. Perhaps that’s why I am
drawn to the Cumberland Denomination. I didn’t say church. The church belongs
to Jesus, but those of us who come to the building that says Cumberland
Presbyterian Church are an odd bunch.
If you don’t
believe me, I keep notes. It’s good to come to a place where I feel at home.
So who are
these people from 3100 years ago?
Who is Ruth?
· Widow.
· Daughter-in-Law to Naomi, Elimelech’s
widow. I will add a faithful daughter-in-law from what we can glean from the
scriptures.
· From pagan ancestry. The false god Chemosh
was the main god of Moab. There are some parallels to Molech and Baal, but
Chemosh appears to be a separate god, not just another name for one of the many
others.
· Foreigner now that she is in Judah.
· A stranger in the land (but Naomi is
not).
Who is Boaz?
· A man of some standing in his
community. That would be the Jerusalem and Bethlehem area.
· Relative of Naomi on her husband’s
side.
· God fearing man.
· Man of compassion.
· I will add, concur or not, that his
heart was taken at the first sight of Ruth.
What does
Boaz see in this pagan girl whom he has never met before?
· Loyalty, noted specifically towards
her mother-in-law.
· A solid work ethic. She isn’t
begging. She is working.
· A caretaker. Ruth provided for Naomi
and her needs.
· Something godly that prompts Ruth to
do good again and again.
· A relative. Even though there is no
blood relationship, Boaz treats Ruth like family from early on.
Who is
Chemosh?
· Pagan god, sometimes considered the
god of victory.
· A national god. Chemosh is often
considered to be Moab’s god.
· On a peer level with Baal and Molech.
· A god who is out of the present
picture. There is no pressure here to worship him or be alienated from her own
people.
Who is Naomi’s
God?
· He is the one true God. Jehovah,
Yahweh, Elohim. He is the great I Am!
· And now, Ruth resides among his
Chosen People.
· And now this God of Abraham—who was
Lot’s God as well, though it didn’t continue for long with Lot—is Ruth’s god as
well.
· Your God will be my God!
This could
have been a daytime soap set for sure but it turned out to be a story in which
God provided every step of the way. What a clear-cut story. You all should feel
guilty about getting off so easily this week.
Did you
notice that Ruth caught Boaz’s eye early in the story? I think the whole
Kinsman Redeemer thing worked out well for Boaz. He will soon enough throw in Ruth as his wife
in addition to redeeming Naomi’s land. I
hope that you have read the whole book and I didn’t spoil it for you.
Did you
notice that despite having a first-chapter attitude from hell, Naomi’s
advice and direction to Ruth have been very sound? Naomi can surely see her part in God’s plan for
her, and yes, it’s that part that women love so much—match-making.
This is the
connecting part of the story. It’s a courtship with no flowers or good night
kiss, but with plenty of anticipation. Ruth is on Boaz’s radar and Ruth is on
her way into the line of Christ.
Naomi and
Ruth will be redeemed by Naomi’s Kinsman-Redeemer.
We are
redeemed by our Kinsman-Redeemer! That's Jesus, in case you needed a reminder.
So as you
had an easy week of reading, I will include an easy takeaway. It’s a simple
challenge. Just remember:
You are
redeemed!
You are
redeemed!
Let us
praise the Lord, we are redeemed, in spite of ourselves.
You are
redeemed!
Amen.
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