(G)Leaning on Grace

“As it turned out, she found herself working in the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.”  Ruth 2:3   The text states that “As it turned out, she found herself working in the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.” (v. 3) Some might call that coincidence; I call it God’s grace. Of all the fields she could have chosen, she was led to this particular field where Boaz would notice her. He returns at a time when she is there, working diligently. He sees this young woman stooping and gathering behind his servant girls. He asks his work foreman about her who points out she is the Moabitess that returned with Naomi. It is obvious by that statement that her appearance in Bethlehem was well known. Her reputation has preceded her. The foreman also informs his boss of her steady work. Immediately impressed with her loyalty Boaz decides to help her by offering for her to continue in his fields with his servant girls. He ordered his men ...

“Let me go to the fields and pick up leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”   Ruth 2:2   Sometimes we look for the blessing or provision to come as one great miracle when in fact it often comes in small tidbits. Gleanings, if you will, of God’s grace and love that affect our lives little by little gradually altering our actions, our words and most especially our hearts. So was the case with Ruth. It was over a period of days, weeks and months through the harvest seasons that she was devoted to her work and went day after day to glean from the fields of Boaz. Through the harvesting of first barley and then wheat, she returned and worked faithfully without complaint. Knowing their need for provision, they would be hungry; Ruth offered to go glean to help provide for both herself and Naomi. “Let me go to the fields and pick up leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Although the Law gave her the right to glean, it did not guarantee ...

I heard a Pastor speak about how Abraham ‘prayed’ to God and how God listened to him.  The scripture mentioned was in Genesis 18 about the plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.  Abraham was pleading with God to spare the cities, bargaining on behalf of the righteous ones that may still be found there.  God ultimately agreed not to destroy them if there were as few as ten righteous people among the wicked. Well we all know that those cities reaped the punishment of the evil ways in which its citizens lived.  But this was not the only case of God listening and changing his heart because of the cries of the faithful.  There was another time in Abraham’s life where scripture clearly shows that God’s heart can be changed by prayer. In Genesis 16 Hagar, Sarai’s Egyptian maidservant becomes pregnant with Abram’s first son.  She tries to run away because of the mistreatment she receives from her mistress.  In the desert an Angel of the Lord speaks to her, te...

But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."                                                                  Ruth 1:16-17 In the Book of Ruth is told a story that many people overlook as simply a love story thrown into the midst of the Old Testament that showcases the male hero of the story Boaz.  But, if that is all you see, then I would say you are missing much of th...

  “ Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John 7:38. Here we are, first week of January, and we are experiencing our third major snow event of the winter season.  As I sit here looking out the window of the study, I see lots and lots of white fluffy snow blanketing the ground.  By now the road department has done its job by clearing the snow and ice from the roadway.  There are still a few errant flakes floating in the air but for now the continued precipitation has for the most part dwindled down to nothing. The coldness of winter sometimes makes me feel depressed and lonely. But on some level I actually find it comforting almost soothing when I am cut off from the rest of the world even if only for a short time.  The lack of human interaction, ringing phones, incessant talking, horrible driver’s swearing as the pass by or nearly hit my vehicle, let’s be honest I just don’t miss it. ...

You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  Galatians 5:13-14 Each of us is called to be free in Christ.  He desires for us to accept his gift of salvation and offer our obedience as a result.  Once we make a decision for Jesus we are freed from the bondage of sin and death.  We are no longer doomed to an eternity of darkness and torment, but a forever with our Lord in Heaven. As we live our lives we are called to act out our faith in loving ways.  Although we are freed, we are not exempt from the attraction and temptation of sin.  The enemy will most certainly continue his attempts to persuade and manipulate.  Part of that is trying to convince us that freedom means we can do whatever we want, whenever and where ever we want to do it. In Ameri...

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. Exodus 14:21-22 For centuries science has tried to explain this miracle recorded in the Bible. Scholars have used everything from weather patterns to chalking it up to an over embellished story passed down through generations of human beings. But the truth is, they cannot explain it away as a coincidence nor can they disprove the validity of the event. The texts of the Bible from the five books of Moses are indisputable in their age and authorship. So why do you suppose people continue to try to discount the record? People have not changed that much over the centuries. Yes, our culture, our way of life has, but the basic humanity in all of us has not. We still have a drivin...