I would miss a great opportunity to praise my Father in heaven if I neglected to take the time to share my thoughts this Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2012. The days preceding this have left me struggling with old patterns of thinking and questions about whether He accepts me and loves me, right here, right now.
It's not necessary to share the situations or circumstances with those who find time to read this attempt at being vulnerable and open in order to hopefully help another. I've communicated with a new friend recently on Facebook and learned I am not the only woman who feels the urge to retreat or go into hiding, if you will, perhaps at the very time others need me the most. The tactics of the enemy are designed just for that purpose. He comes to steal our peace, threaten us with physical death or death of relationships, rejection and failure, with the desire to ultimately remove us from the place God has asked us to stand for Him.
I'm so thankful for the myriad ways He has taught me of His faithfulness that I might add have come largely through the trials of my life. Until a few weeks ago, I have been lacking in understanding how quickly I can be moved into the negative emotions of fear, guilt, discouragement and hopelessness. As this new year began, God spoke to me about getting serious about His Word. It is making all the difference as I approach each day with the reminder that His Word is like a weapon in my hand. As I watched the ending of the movie, The Book of Ruth, on television the other night, I was reminded of David's victory over Goliath. David reached inside his pouch and pulled out one smooth stone and with only his slingshot hurled it into the trunk of a tree. A curious way for the movie to end but the picture of that stone stuck in the tree was not lost on me as I have thought of it for days.
The last scene of this movie portrayed Obed, the grandfather of David and son of Ruth and Boaz, reminding the shepherd boy of his position in the lineage of Christ. The story of Ruth and how Boaz became the kinsman redeemer is a beautiful representation of how this plays out in our lives. When Naomi was in the throes of grief, hopelessness and near financial ruin with famine all around, God brought the kinsman redeemer, Boaz, into the lives of Naomi and Ruth and restored the line of Christ through the birth of their son Obed. The foreshadowing of our Kinsman Redeemer, Christ Jesus, makes this story so worthy of reading if you are feeling the kinds of emotions we all suffer as we journey in this place.
As I come to a close of my thoughts this morning, I'd like to share the following verses. I ask you to think with me as if these were the words of our Kinsman Redeemer, Christ the anointed One, to you personally. These are the words of Boaz but they foreshadow all the words of Christ as he ministered here on earth.
Boaz said, “...Ruth, the Moabitess, I have bought to be my wife to restore the name of the dead to his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his birthplace.” (Ruth 4:10)
And..
The witnesses said, “May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the household of Israel. May you do worthily and get wealth (power) in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem.” (Ruth 4:11)
Today, I am reminded of all the ways God speaks to us if we are listening. A late night movie, a song, a word of encouragement, a reminder of those who have loved us even in our darkest days as Ruth did Naomi. And may we pass on this day that Our blessed Hope, our Kinsman Redeemer... was and is and is to come. He is the same yesterday, today and forever and ready to restore life to the spiritually dead, the broken and the hopeless.
Let us repeat Ruth's words to our Father..
“Urge me not to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go.”
Ruth loved another, even when it was difficult, and was led to the God who restored her life and that of those around her. She became part of the lineage of Christ. This is the challenge God has set forth for me today. I pray you will hear from heaven through what I've shared of my heart today.
