A few more points to ponder...~

TGIF :)

 

 

 We already know that Ruth showed devotion to Naomi not knowing what the future would hold. Even Naomi tells her, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters..."

 

In other words, Ruth had very little to gain by staying with Naomi.

 

Yet God was about to bless Ruth beyond her wildest dreams because of her faithfulness. First principle of the day: God blesses those who are faithful in their relationships.

 

A love story will soon unfold between Ruth and Boaz, and Naomi plays a significant role by helping Ruth navigate the tricky waters of the dating game. Second principle of the day: Older women and men sometimes really do know best. We have been there/done that, and as a result of our own life experiences we can help all you beautiful guys and gals avoid some of the pitfalls of relationships.

 

Naomi had expressed her desire for Ruth, which was, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?" Naomi was talking specifically about marriage, and chapter three in the book of Ruth is all about Naomi mentoring Ruth with good advice that would lead to marriage.

 

I love what Naomi says in this verse. A marriage to the right person leads to your well-being and provides security. It provides financial, sexual, relational, emotional, physical, and yes, even spiritual security. Given what's at stake we should all be seriously praying right now for our kids or even for those of us who are single to marry the right person. Yes, God can send a Boaz or a Ruth for us, and the book of Ruth exists to give us hope. But we have to do our part, which is the third principle of the day: Be willing to follow the advice of wiser people. What good is it to listen and then not follow through? For all you young'uns living at home, if mom or dad does not like the person you are dating, ask yourself, "Why?"

 

I will be the first to admit that the dynamic of the family has changed--so much so that not all of us have a mom or dad in our lives to guide us along. Please keep in mind that Naomi was Ruth's mother-in-law. It was not your standard husband, wife, two kids and a dog unit. Our Lord is telling us that the traditional definition of family is not the only source for our guidance. Amen to that! What is important is having a mutually loving and respectful relationship period, and I have seen that among friends, church family, next-door-neighbors, grandparents/grandkids, and even colleagues.

 

Next week we will still be on this topic as we see the fruit of Naomi and Ruth's relationship, which is principle of the day number four: A good and trusting relationship with a wise person is a great resource when considering dating and marriage.

 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Relationships can be a blessing if we follow the great guidelines You provide for dating and marriage. Help open our eyes to Your wisdom so we make good decisions. We all want security and well-being for ourselves and our children. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Your God Will Be My God~

Greetings:)

 

Yesterday we were left wondering what it was that Naomi did that caused Ruth's unwavering devotion to her.

 

As a widowed woman in a starving, foreign land you can bet that it wasn't because she had any money. And even though Naomi's name means pleasant, it wasn't necessarily because she was a joy to be around. Keep in mind that she lost her husband and her two sons, one of which was Ruth's husband. At one point Naomi even says that her name should be changed to "Mara," which means bitter.

 

So what was it? The answer is found in a portion of yesterday's passage:

 

Ruth 1:17..."You God will be my God."

 

Something about the way Naomi lived her life as a believer in the middle of a pagan nation really ministered to Ruth. Sure, some of us can fake it for a little while. But 10 years? That's how long Ruth was married to Naomi's son before his passing. If Naomi were a hypocrite Ruth would have seen it at some point. But nope. Naomi was a consistent follower of the God of Israel. And one of His greatest commandments is to love thy neighbor as thyself.

 

It may not have been easy considering that Naomi's children married outside the faith. It was actually strictly forbidden for Israelites to marry Moabites, but Naomi's son married Ruth anyway and Naomi, rather than criticize and condemn, consistently modeled what God wants us all to do--to love and accept.

 

She lived her faith day in/day out, and it was contagious. Through all the ups and downs her belief in God sustained her and made an impact on Ruth. There is no way Naomi could have ever known the magnitude of the consequences that her faith-filled life would ultimately have on history, but we will. (More on that as the DEVOs progress). But for today let us think about the impact we have on others--particularly those in our closest circles. Are we living out our faith? Do we model God's love? Are others drawn to God because we are pointing the way? Do others want to be around us because we are kind or do they avoid us because we are critical?

 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, You are our God, and we want others to know it. Your Word teaches that when we love You it positively impacts us because others want to hang out with us. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

...Your God Will Be My God~

Greetings:)




Late last year I added a new title to my other ones of wife, mom, sister, friend, Auntie...MOTHER-IN-LAW!!!



We poor mothers-in-law get such a bad rap, but I assure you that some of us are precious. And since we are talking about relationships, it is important to take a moment to examine the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law dynamic.



Going back to Ruth, we learn right at the beginning of the book that her husband and her father-in-law--Naomi's husband--have both died, and that there is a famine in the land. Ruth, who was from Moab, a land known for idol worship, had every right to return to her own family, but she tells Naomi in 1:16-17, "Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!"



The first time I recall hearing that scripture was at a wedding, and it is a beautiful passage for newlyweds. But I was kind of shocked to learn that it was said by a daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law.



It is possible, dear ones, to have deep love and respect for your in-laws. Not only is it possible, but it is recommended. (More on that later). The point is that we in-laws--present and future--have a unique opportunity to conduct ourselves in such a way that our childrens' siginificant others will show steadfast devotion to us.



What on earth did Naomi do that Ruth was so determined to follow after her? To forget the idols of her homeland for the true God of Israel? The answer might surprise you.



PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Your Word shows us that love is far reaching and should positively impact all of our relationships. It is nice to know that deep devotion can exist among in-laws. If there are any rifts right now in our ranks between in-laws, bring healing and peace. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Give Her Special Treatment~

A glorious Tuesday greeting to all; I hope you all enjoyed a nice day off yesterday:)

 

Let's continue with our look at relationships.

 

Ruth 2:15-18

"When she got up to go back to work, Boaz ordered his servants: 'Let her glean where there’s still plenty of grain on the ground—make it easy for her. Better yet, pull some of the good stuff out and leave it for her to glean. Give her special treatment.'”

"Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. When she threshed out what she had gathered, she ended up with nearly a full sack of barley! She gathered up her gleanings, went back to town, and showed her mother-in-law the results of her day’s work; she also gave her the leftovers from her lunch."

 

Beautiful principle of the day: A good and generous man improves the life of the woman he is with AND her family. That's right. It's not just about you. It's also about the in-laws and the parents and the siblings, even the grandparents.

 

Naomi was so impressed with the bounty that Ruth brought home that she exclaims in verse 19. "God bless whoever it was who took such good care of you!”

 

I can assure you that I was not always so eager to bless those who dated my children. Quite the opposite, in fact. There were certain seasons in life where it took a Herculean effort to keep my mouth shut. I knew that if I said what I was really thinking I would alienate my child. Man, that was hard. But it's ok. God invites us to pour out our complaint to Him, so I did--often--daily--to be exact.

 

Start telling your children now that whoever they are going to date needs to be worthy of the blessings that you as a parent are willing to give. A good relationship brings unity--not division. The right relationship shows respect for everyone in the family. The behavior that a young man or young woman displays better have you and me saying exactly what Naomi said: GOD BLESS WHOEVER IT IS THAT IS TAKING SUCH GOOD CARE OF YOU!"

 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We raise our voice with the good Naomi to let You know that we desire to bless those who date our kids or even those whom we are dating. You provide some clear guidelines in Your Word; help us not to settle. We all want special treatment, and we want our relationships blessed. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Famine to Feast~

TGIF Greetings~

 

So many of you beautiful and blessed children of our Relationship Expert God commented on yesterday's DEVO; you are all longing for a trip to the Acres of Hope. Hang in there; God is teaching us all some amazing things:)

 

Ruth 2:14 "At mealtime Boaz called to her, 'Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.' So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over."

 

Principle of the day: A good man is generous; a good man improves the quality of your life.

 

Keep in mind that Ruth was a widow who traveled back to her mother-in-law's home country because the economy was so bad where they were from that there was a food shortage. Kind of scary to think that there's not enough food. Who knows how many nights Ruth and her mother-in-law went to bed hungry, but all that changed when she met a particularly generous man named Boaz. He invited her to eat and made sure she ate until she was satisfied and then some.

 

In a bigger context, Ruth's life went from not having enough to having more than enough--from famine to feast. One of the most important things we can teach our children is that when they start dating someone their lives better instantly improve. From being happy to being even happier. The person they are with better be bringing joy into their lives. Obviously, it can not be 100% bliss 100% of the time, but that initial phase needs to be drama-free and fun.

 

I have seen some excruciatingly painful situations all because some people--young girls in particular--did not understand this principle. Girls who went from a carefree existence to having to deal with dangerous jealousy, stinginess, control freaks, pressure for sex, or yes, even physical abuse.

 

When my Rayray was 15 years old a nice young man from church took a liking to her. He was adorable and noble, but his home life was a mess. That did not automatically disqualify him from dating Rayray because no one is better than anyone. But her dad and I were on hyper-alert. The advantage of this was that she was never alone with him because they were too young to drive. All four of us were kind of joined at the hip, and at first it was fine. Then the drama started. It all culminated in a dinner party that we were invited to where the mother's drunk boyfriend made threats at everyone. We all looked mortified as Rayray's young man stood up to defend his mom. My son stood up to leave, and I shot him this "let's not make this worse for Rayray and please sit down" look.

 

Later that night I sat down with Rayray, and in her little heart she knew that somehow things were not the way they were supposed to be. She was right, of course, and she was much too young to play the role of counselor/comforter to another teenager. The three-month long relationship ended--no harm/no foul--and the long talks Rayray and I had about what constitutes a beautiful relationship proved to be a solid foundation now that she is seriously dating someone.

 

Sooner or later we will all face difficulties in our relationships because life is difficult. But based on what God's word is teaching us, we need to know that at the beginning of new love it better be all about life getting better and not the other way around.

 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, We know that You want us to be compassionate to others and care for them in times of trouble, but we need to understand the difference between being there for someone and what being a significant other means. Thank You for Your precious Word that teaches us that in a relationship we should expect to be treated a certain way. Nothing less than Your standards will do for us or our children. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Acres of Hope~

Good morning :)

 

Before we proceed with the topic of relationships, let's take a closer look at what God desires to do for each and everyone of who has ever been hurt, or is currently struggling in a relationship, or is feeling like a happy and healthy relationship is never going to happen.

 

There is one IN-YOUR-FACE verse that I trust will rev our engines.

 

Hosea 2:15..."I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope."

 

Have you ever taken a trip down Heartbreak Valley? Have you ever been mistreated? Have you ever been made to feel less than? Have you ever wondered if and when you will enjoy a mutually satisfying, mutually respectful, mutually faithful, and mutually loving relationship?

 

The entire book of Hosea has to do with God patiently courting us as we have done most or all of the above to Him. We have ignored Him, blamed Him when things go wrong, only gone to Him when there's a crisis, and yes, even looked for satisfaction in temporal things when only He can give peace that runs like a river.

 

The good news is that He completely and thoroughly understands relationships--inside and out. It was all His idea in the first place. Which is why Hosea is such a powerful love story. The same God Who pursues us and understands what it takes to have an amazing relationship--Who knows our weaknesses and tendencies--is the same one Who desires to apply these principles and power for our human relationships as well.

 

He knows that Heartbreak Valley exists--that it's a well-traveled destination filled with regrets, guilt, and sorrow. But Heartbreak Valley turns into Acres of Hope when we turn to Him. Acres with an "s", instead of a singular depressing valley. AMEN! It begins with prayer, as you all faith-filled creatures know, but let us not underscore the importance of Biblical principles. God has a way of doing things that will take you straight out of that valley into your hope-filled acreage. His way works.

 

We've already looked at how a young man must act and speak in a way that touches a woman's heart, and how he must protect her reputation. We have also seen the wisdom behind women who affirm, not nag, their men. And there is more to come. But let's conclude today's DEVO with a special prayer--especially for our young, unmarried children. There is so much misinformation out there. Let's be a line of defense between them and all that junk by (1) praying for them, (2) learning God's relationship principles, and (3) setting the right example by following these principles ourselves.

 

 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You know best when it comes to our love lives. We all have young people in our lives that we love, and we have so many concerns because we want them to avoid the harsh consequences that can come when we do not choose wisely. Make our children receptive to doing things Your way, and give us the wisdom and patience we need to properly instruct them. And for those of us who are desperate for a change, we are asking You today to do Your thing. You are the One Who turns heartbreak into hope. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Vice-Versa

A happy rainy Wednesday to all:)




It is raining so hard right now in Westchester that the pool is overflowing. But it's okay; the rain reminds me of a a great hymn.

There Shall be Showers of Blessing

The first stanza says:

There shall be showers of blessing:

This is the promise of love;

There shall be seasons refreshing,

Sent from the Savior above.

Refrain:

Showers of blessing,

Showers of blessing we need:

Mercy-drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead.



Amen to that! Let's all plead together today for the showers of blessing. But before we do let's go back to the verse in 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 speed of light is something like over 180,000 miles per second, and that's how long one of you precious male readers took to respond to yesterday's DEVO.



To put it exactly, you asked--in all caps, "THIS APPLIES VICE-VERSA, CORRECT?"



Yes, dear people, yes.



There is so much richness in God's perfect Word. All we need to do is take the time to really dissect it. Ruth's response to the way Boaz treated her is, indeed, a powerful lesson for all us ladies in how to treat a fellow.



She affirmed him with words. Men have this built-in need for affirmation. They need to be cheered on and encouraged. They need to be told what they are doing right, and more often than not, spared the criticism that sometimes flows so easily. How do I know? I am kind of sort of an expert at spewing out of the mouth...



Proverbs 27:15 "A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm."



I think God just said that sometimes I can be annoying. But let's face it--that drip drip drip can drive anyone nuts.



So as we continue this look into relationships let's remember that men have the responsibility to touch our hearts, and women have the responsibility to affirm them as they do.



PRAYER:

Dear Lord, We need showers of blessing, so send them ASAP. We particularly want Your help with relationships. We are all at different ages and stages, but we all need wisdom to have the best relationships possible. Thank you for the excellent guidelines in Your Word. In Jesus' name, AMEN~