kayte
Jun 3rd 2004, 03:24 PM
Ruth part 7
Chapter Seven
The Life Changing Solution
Ruth is in a very precarious place as she lies at Boaz’s feet in the dark on a threshing floor in Bethlehem.
In Ruth 3:9 she said, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a near kinsman.”
Think for a moment of all the things Ruth could have asked for.
She and Naomi were in need of bare necessities… food and shelter. Yet Ruth didn’t come to Boaz merely asking him to set them up in comfort, that they might live on his charity. (This is what the majority of the world does. They live in His world, enjoying what is His, yet keep Him at a distance.)
How many times have you or those around you gone to the Lord in hopes of gaining a temporal, earthly blessing, while firmly keeping your heart back?
Ruth could have gone to Boaz and applied for a job.
Have you ever gone to the Lord with résumé in hand and laid out all your qualifications to do some particular job for Him? Have you tried to earn His favor?
A great danger lies in our work for the Lord taking precedence over our knowing Him.
Ruth wasn’t looking for a temporary fix to her problems. She knew she needed a life changing solution, just as we do.
And just as Ruth did… we must go completely.
Matthew 22:37: “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.’”
Have you heard some say that they tried Christianity and it just didn’t work for them?
Jesus not working for some people is never the issue. The real problem lies in the person. They didn’t love Him with all their heart, soul and mind. It will always come down to the fact that they loved themselves more. Self-preservation and self-satisfaction will always stand in the way of God moving in our hearts and lives.
When Ruth lay trembling at Boaz’s feet how did he respond?
Verse 10: Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.”
Boaz didn’t scowl at Ruth and say, “About time!” Neither did he accuse her of coming to him because he was a wealthy man. Many would have tagged her a gold digger, out for his money.
But Boaz saw Ruth’s heart and he blessed her.
The Lord sees and knows our hearts.
He knows those that come to Him merely because “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,” He knows those that come because they have a physical need. He knows those that come seeking nothing more than the proverbial fire insurance.
He also knows those that come because their hearts long for Him.
Deuteronomy 4:29: But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
It seems sometimes people are under the impression that they can circle God, looking Him over like a new car.
Give His tires a kick, hop in and see how He feels. Take Him out for a test drive…
What kinds of options can I get? Air conditioning and heating are a must. He has to be able to keep me comfortable at all times. Can I get cruise control? I like to determine what speed I want to go. How about one of those new fancy computer gadgets that will warn me if there’s a detour up ahead? (I hate detours.) And I want to have clear directions so I always know which way I should turn well before I get there.
Is there a complete entertainment system with surround sound? I like to be kept entertained. :eek:
And safety… If I crash into some obstacle will I come out unscathed?
What about the warranty? Can I get replacement parts if something doesn’t live up to my expectations?
By the way… I’m not wild about the royal colors… they’re a bit intimidating. Could I get this in a pastel blue? Something that looks a little… softer maybe?
And like an inanimate object, He’ll be none the wiser if you decide He’s not exactly what you’re looking for.
Psalm 139:1-3: Oh Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.
The Lord sees our hearts, knows our thoughts and speaks gently.
Verse 11: “And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman."
What did Ruth request?
She came to Boaz seeking the most intimate relationship there is between man and woman.
Ruth was not coy. She didn’t play hard to get. She wasn’t demanding. In her vulnerability she accepted all that Boaz was… without conditions. And Boaz blessed Ruth and took her into his heart.
If we set our hearts to seek intimacy with the Lord we need not fear. He is pleased to draw us close and take us into His heart.
Boaz called Ruth a virtuous woman. Not a Moabitess. He never referred to the fact that she had in all probability served false gods. He didn’t hold her past between them. He knew she had turned from those things.
He instantly took the part of the redeemer, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with his words. (Ephesians 5:25-29.)
Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, never hurls our sins in our faces. If you are plagued by the guilt of past sins set them aside and move forward. Jesus does not hold them between you. He calls you a virtuous woman, be one.
Ephesians 5:8-9: For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.)
When we’re close to Jesus, ‘good fruit’ is a natural by-product of our love relationship with Him. A well-watered and tended tree doesn’t struggle to bear fruit, it just does.
If we live at a distance from Him we often step into an area where we were never meant to be. We become manufacturers of wax fruit. It looks good. It can even feel good. But it holds no nourishment or value. It is merely decorative. It has no power to sustain life.
Our lives are not to be spent examining a list of dos and don’ts. Rather we are to spend all energy and effort knowing God. Building on our relationships with Him. The closer we draw to Him, the more like Him we become, the richer and more fulfilling and pleasant our fruit.
#
Lord, we want to know You. We want to worship You and be like You. Draw us close.
Thank You for dying to make us clean and to make us Your own.
Lord, as we see glimpses into Your eyes we long to be changed. You are everything we want to be, and we stand in awe of You.
Teach us to be fruit inspectors, Lord. Please show us any wax fruit that we’ve been trying to pass-off as real, and give us strength to discard it, counting it worthless in light of You.
Let our lives be consumed with You and break down those things that we would so carelessly allow to hinder us from knowing You.
In Jesus we come. Amen.
Study questions
1) Have you gone to the Lord completely or do you find yourself seeking only what He can do for you? A good way to measure this would be to ask yourself if your time with God is consistent or if you really only spend time with Him when there are troubles?
2) Boaz was a very kind, gentle man. Do you believe he is representative of the way God is toward you? Why or why not?
3) When you think of all the Bible verses you know, does there seem to be a main theme? (Examples: Promises of salvation, healing, the attributes of God, death to self, prosperity, heaven, lists of sins, etc.)
What do you think this reflects about your relationship with God?
4) If you could customize God, what would you change about Him?
If you could change that… would it make Him more or less powerful? Would it make you more or less powerful?
5) Are there sins from your past that are eating you up, things that keep a cloud of guilt hanging over your head?
Are you aware that the Bible never talks about forgiving ourselves? It’s a very popular teaching. However, if we go to the Bible, God tells us to come to Him for forgiveness, not ourselves. He says that in Him our forgiveness is complete, that He casts our sins as far as the east is from the west and now considers each of us a new creation, and calls us virtuous.
If you are beaten down by past sins, ask yourself where your focus is, on Jesus or on yourself?
6) When you examine your fruit what do you find?
Let’s take the fruit scenario a step further. The darker the fruit the more nutritious it is.
Example: Cranberries contain much more value for our health than grapes or bananas. In a light relationship with the Lord we can bear fruit and it is good. But in a deeper relationship with Him the value of our fruit is subsequently better.
copyright 2002 tkc
Chapter Seven
The Life Changing Solution
Ruth is in a very precarious place as she lies at Boaz’s feet in the dark on a threshing floor in Bethlehem.
In Ruth 3:9 she said, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a near kinsman.”
Think for a moment of all the things Ruth could have asked for.
She and Naomi were in need of bare necessities… food and shelter. Yet Ruth didn’t come to Boaz merely asking him to set them up in comfort, that they might live on his charity. (This is what the majority of the world does. They live in His world, enjoying what is His, yet keep Him at a distance.)
How many times have you or those around you gone to the Lord in hopes of gaining a temporal, earthly blessing, while firmly keeping your heart back?
Ruth could have gone to Boaz and applied for a job.
Have you ever gone to the Lord with résumé in hand and laid out all your qualifications to do some particular job for Him? Have you tried to earn His favor?
A great danger lies in our work for the Lord taking precedence over our knowing Him.
Ruth wasn’t looking for a temporary fix to her problems. She knew she needed a life changing solution, just as we do.
And just as Ruth did… we must go completely.
Matthew 22:37: “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.’”
Have you heard some say that they tried Christianity and it just didn’t work for them?
Jesus not working for some people is never the issue. The real problem lies in the person. They didn’t love Him with all their heart, soul and mind. It will always come down to the fact that they loved themselves more. Self-preservation and self-satisfaction will always stand in the way of God moving in our hearts and lives.
When Ruth lay trembling at Boaz’s feet how did he respond?
Verse 10: Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.”
Boaz didn’t scowl at Ruth and say, “About time!” Neither did he accuse her of coming to him because he was a wealthy man. Many would have tagged her a gold digger, out for his money.
But Boaz saw Ruth’s heart and he blessed her.
The Lord sees and knows our hearts.
He knows those that come to Him merely because “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,” He knows those that come because they have a physical need. He knows those that come seeking nothing more than the proverbial fire insurance.
He also knows those that come because their hearts long for Him.
Deuteronomy 4:29: But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
It seems sometimes people are under the impression that they can circle God, looking Him over like a new car.
Give His tires a kick, hop in and see how He feels. Take Him out for a test drive…
What kinds of options can I get? Air conditioning and heating are a must. He has to be able to keep me comfortable at all times. Can I get cruise control? I like to determine what speed I want to go. How about one of those new fancy computer gadgets that will warn me if there’s a detour up ahead? (I hate detours.) And I want to have clear directions so I always know which way I should turn well before I get there.
Is there a complete entertainment system with surround sound? I like to be kept entertained. :eek:
And safety… If I crash into some obstacle will I come out unscathed?
What about the warranty? Can I get replacement parts if something doesn’t live up to my expectations?
By the way… I’m not wild about the royal colors… they’re a bit intimidating. Could I get this in a pastel blue? Something that looks a little… softer maybe?
And like an inanimate object, He’ll be none the wiser if you decide He’s not exactly what you’re looking for.
Psalm 139:1-3: Oh Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.
The Lord sees our hearts, knows our thoughts and speaks gently.
Verse 11: “And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman."
What did Ruth request?
She came to Boaz seeking the most intimate relationship there is between man and woman.
Ruth was not coy. She didn’t play hard to get. She wasn’t demanding. In her vulnerability she accepted all that Boaz was… without conditions. And Boaz blessed Ruth and took her into his heart.
If we set our hearts to seek intimacy with the Lord we need not fear. He is pleased to draw us close and take us into His heart.
Boaz called Ruth a virtuous woman. Not a Moabitess. He never referred to the fact that she had in all probability served false gods. He didn’t hold her past between them. He knew she had turned from those things.
He instantly took the part of the redeemer, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with his words. (Ephesians 5:25-29.)
Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, never hurls our sins in our faces. If you are plagued by the guilt of past sins set them aside and move forward. Jesus does not hold them between you. He calls you a virtuous woman, be one.
Ephesians 5:8-9: For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.)
When we’re close to Jesus, ‘good fruit’ is a natural by-product of our love relationship with Him. A well-watered and tended tree doesn’t struggle to bear fruit, it just does.
If we live at a distance from Him we often step into an area where we were never meant to be. We become manufacturers of wax fruit. It looks good. It can even feel good. But it holds no nourishment or value. It is merely decorative. It has no power to sustain life.
Our lives are not to be spent examining a list of dos and don’ts. Rather we are to spend all energy and effort knowing God. Building on our relationships with Him. The closer we draw to Him, the more like Him we become, the richer and more fulfilling and pleasant our fruit.
#
Lord, we want to know You. We want to worship You and be like You. Draw us close.
Thank You for dying to make us clean and to make us Your own.
Lord, as we see glimpses into Your eyes we long to be changed. You are everything we want to be, and we stand in awe of You.
Teach us to be fruit inspectors, Lord. Please show us any wax fruit that we’ve been trying to pass-off as real, and give us strength to discard it, counting it worthless in light of You.
Let our lives be consumed with You and break down those things that we would so carelessly allow to hinder us from knowing You.
In Jesus we come. Amen.
Study questions
1) Have you gone to the Lord completely or do you find yourself seeking only what He can do for you? A good way to measure this would be to ask yourself if your time with God is consistent or if you really only spend time with Him when there are troubles?
2) Boaz was a very kind, gentle man. Do you believe he is representative of the way God is toward you? Why or why not?
3) When you think of all the Bible verses you know, does there seem to be a main theme? (Examples: Promises of salvation, healing, the attributes of God, death to self, prosperity, heaven, lists of sins, etc.)
What do you think this reflects about your relationship with God?
4) If you could customize God, what would you change about Him?
If you could change that… would it make Him more or less powerful? Would it make you more or less powerful?
5) Are there sins from your past that are eating you up, things that keep a cloud of guilt hanging over your head?
Are you aware that the Bible never talks about forgiving ourselves? It’s a very popular teaching. However, if we go to the Bible, God tells us to come to Him for forgiveness, not ourselves. He says that in Him our forgiveness is complete, that He casts our sins as far as the east is from the west and now considers each of us a new creation, and calls us virtuous.
If you are beaten down by past sins, ask yourself where your focus is, on Jesus or on yourself?
6) When you examine your fruit what do you find?
Let’s take the fruit scenario a step further. The darker the fruit the more nutritious it is.
Example: Cranberries contain much more value for our health than grapes or bananas. In a light relationship with the Lord we can bear fruit and it is good. But in a deeper relationship with Him the value of our fruit is subsequently better.
copyright 2002 tkc