He Will Give You Everything You Need~

TGIF Greetings :)

 

Relationships have been front and center for almost two weeks in the DEVOs, and today we tie up some loose strings.

 

Have you wondered why Boaz spoke so graciously to Ruth in the first place? Why he touched her heart with her words? Why he blessed her and Naomi with provision and protection?

 

Ruth 2:11 "Boaz replied, 'I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.'”

 

Ruth's reputation preceded her. Boaz knew she was worth getting to know. It is true that there are those who are not necessarily after a long-term relationship and could care less about a young woman's character. But this works in our favor.

 

If we conduct ourselves in a respectable way we will attract those who are respectable. The riff raff will stay away because they know that, first and foremost, we are taking refuge under the God of Israel's wings.

 

This is a powerful principle: SEEK GOD FIRST--TRUST HIM WITH YOUR FUTURE--HOLD ONTO YOUR CHARACTER AND MORALITY--AND THE RIGHT GUY OR GAL WILL NOTICE.

 

It is so romantic to me that a guy would say to a young woman that I have heard about you--you have been so kind in your life that I ask God to bless you for it.

 

Those words might be a little dated for 2013. But you know what I mean. Boaz approached Ruth for the right reasons. And it made him want to share everything he owned with her to make her happy.

 

Back in 1982 I worked at Sedano's Pharmacy. There was a regular customer who would come in once a week during my shift and make small talk. He was cute, and everything was fine at first. He did indeed ask me out. When he found out I couldn't date without a chaperon, he said, "Can't you meet me somewhere?" Uh, no.

 

Don't think I didn't think that having a chaperon was ridiculous, because it was. But honestly, if this guy could not respect my family's way of doing things, how would he ever respect me?

 

Ask Jorge and he will tell you that once he and I started dating I welcomed my mom's overbearing rules.

 

For example:

(1) If you see Jorge on Friday, there's no need to see him on Saturday and vice-versa.

(2) You must be home by midnight, and your brother is going with you every where you go. (I was 20 years old! Most kids don't even start getting ready to go out until 11PM nowadays).

(3) You may see him every Sunday--at church.

(4) He may visit once during the week and stay for an hour or less. I have things to do and can not sit there and babysit you.

 

It was rough, to say the least, but I welcomed these suffocating and unreasonable rules to see just how much Jorge was willing to put up with. He did not flinch--not once--the entire 18 months we dated before we were married. Not even when we arrived 10 minutes late one Saturday night--from youth group no less--and my mom punished me for one entire month. No Jorge for one month! I thought I would die! But I didn't, and neither did he. And, most importantly, I knew that I knew that I knew that Jorge was the guy for me.

 

There are ways in which a young man can touch our heart that does not require words; there are ways in which a young woman acts that draws the attention from the right guy. And vice-versa. And everything starts to fall into place when we, like Ruth, decide to make the One True God our God.

 

Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need (including a blessed relationship)."

 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, We have been so blessed by the story of Ruth. It truly is a beautiful love story between two people who knew how to treat one another and respect the elders in their lives. The consequences of their behavior inspires us today. We all want to true love in our lives and the first step is to take refuge under Your wings. Cover us with your guidance and protection as we make relationship decisions. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

I'll Do Whatever You Say~

Happy Wednesday:)




Naomi and Ruth have been our focus lately and for good reason. Their relationship teaches us so much, and let's face it--is there any decision we make more important than who we will marry?



Let me rephrase that. Deciding to love God and become His child is ultimately the most important decision we will ever make because it has eternal implications. But deciding who to date and who to marry will affect everything else we will ever do as long as we live.



So many parents I meet think that once the kids are 18 their worries are over. Sorry! In many ways the challenging years are just beginning. Why? Because the decisions our kids make as adults are for keeps. A middle school relationship does not have nearly the importance, then say, the ones that start freshman year of college.



I once read a metaphor about marriage that really made sense to me.



When our kids start to date, it's as though they are out at sea--dancing on the waves--sometimes going from relationship to relationship. When they finally settle down with a nice vessel--no dinghies allowed--it's as though the ship has come in and anchored in the safety of a harbor.



Marriage is intended to be a happy and secure harbor, and so it is of vital importance that we lovingly and firmly guide our kids along these sometimes choppy waters. Or find someone to lovingly and firmly guide us if we are the one seeking a relationship or looking to improve upon an existing one.



Naomi played such an important role in helping Ruth navigate her relationship with Boaz. She gave her some great advice, like, "Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes..." And Ruth was wise enough to follow the advice. She says to Naomi, "I will do whatever you say."



STOP RIGHT THERE!!!



Those words are music to any parent's ears. Can you imagine your kids answering you like that? No temper tantrums, no "Why?", no "You can't tell me what to do!"



What was the result of Naomi's advice and Ruth's willingness to follow it?



Ruth 4:13 "So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son."



And not just any son either, but one who would grow up and marry and have another son and so on and so forth until Joseph, Christ's father, was born. Skip all the way to the first book in the New Testament and you will see Ruth's name right there in verse five in the genealogy of Jesus. Not bad for a foreigner from a godless land who took a step of faith and followed her mother-in-law all the way to the true God and into the arms of a loving, wonderful, generous, and gracious spouse.



In other words, incredible and amazing things happen when we mentor others and they listen. Never underestimate the impact that you are having on your kids or anyone else who you are praying for or helping.



PRAYER: Dear Lord, The story of Ruth and Boaz is an inspiration. We all want what they had--a mutually loving relationship--for ourselves and for our children. Guide us as we make these incredibly important decisions and thank You that the Bible has such great advice. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

You've Touched My Heart~

Good morning :)

 

Yesterday a few of you wrote back to express how you wished you would have known that a man who protects a woman's reputation is a good thing!

 

Even though it sounds like common sense, the truth is that sometimes our girls do not know what exactly to look for in a man, and sometimes our boys have all the best intentions but they were never properly taught or modeled the right behavior.

 

That's where we come in.

 

For those of us who have kids, we can teach them, and for those of us who are looking to date and marry, we can be on the lookout for these beautiful qualities.

 

I myself was very blessed after reading the story of Mary and Joseph because I realized that God chose an excellent man to be Christ's earthly father. We all want the same thing for our children and for ourselves.

 

But there is one book in the Bible that has always been the source of most of the relationship advice I have given my kids--the book of Ruth.

 

Ruth 2:8-13

She said, “Oh sir, such grace, such kindness—I don’t deserve it. You’ve touched my heart, treated me like one of your own. And I don’t even belong here!”

 

The backstory is that Ruth is a widowed foreigner traveling with her mother-in-law back to Israel. She and her mother-in-law are practically destitute. And then she meets a man named Boaz.

 

Principal number one: The words a young man speaks must be filled with grace and his actions must be kind. He must touch a girl's heart--NOT ANYTHING ELSE! Other versons of the Bible say that you have comforted me, reassured me, put me at ease, and encouraged me.

 

It is the epitome of romance.

 

If the young man you are dating is not filling your heart with grace and kindness, RUN FAR FAR AWAY!!! If he is trying to connect somewhere else besides your heart--you know what to do.

 

I once counseled a precious young lady who couldn't quite figure out what was bothering her about her boyfriend. It turns out that he had a subtle way of undermining her self-esteem by making comments like, "You are so beautiful, but you would look prettier with bangs." "I love you just the way you are, but that blouse makes you look a little pudgy." He once went so far as to suggest a nose job. Lord, have mercy! He would always give a compliment before a criticism. It was so damaging to her, and continuing to be with him would have been a mistake. Eventually she was able to see that he wasn't kind or gracious,and he certainly didn't touch her heart. There was nothing comforting, reassuring, or encouraging about his words. He did not put her at ease--he put her ill at ease. Bottom line: He hurt her heart, and she broke it off.

 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Thank You for including me like Joseph and Boaz in the Bible. It provides an excellent model of what men act like and what women should look for. Help us and our kids be strong in this area because who we choose to be in a relationship with is the most important decision we will ever make. Thank You that our number one relationship is with Christ and the He guides us. In Jesus' name, AMEN~