Why This Favor

Ruth 2:10

New International Version

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

For Encouragement

Have you sincerely stood before the mirror and asked yourself why God elected you as one of His beloved children for eternity (Ephesians 1:4-10)? You, of all people!

Maybe you are one of those who think you were not as bad as the worst person on your block growing up, so God did not find it difficult to notice you. Good riddance, my friend, but stop and carefully read Ephesians 2:1-10; then come back with your report. But before my Savior, Jesus Christ, I am like Ruth before Boaz—bowed down with my face to the ground, and only one question to ask:

Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner (Ruth 2:10)?

Mephibosheth asked a similar question before King David when the king poured his favor on the son of his late friend, Jonathan, who was lame in both feet.

Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

In today’s text, Ruth did not know how God worked with His people to restore and bless them. She did not know that God had led and guided her into the field of the guardian-redeemer of their family (v.3; 3:12). Her mindset was that of a foreigner and a Moabite whose people God had excluded from the assembly of His people, Israel (Deut. 23:3-4). She did not belong where she stood and expected no pleasantry from anybody. Only some left-over grain from anybody’s field would satisfy her indulgence and that of her aged mother-in-law.

However, as providence had it, grace stared her in the face with the kindness of God and worked through Boaz to bless her. Favor had located her in the grainfield of Boaz, and she wanted to know why (2:10). That is your story and mine in the Redemption Story of God—saved by grace alone.

Have you asked the Lord that question before? Why He chose you, who were once a Gentile by birth and called uncircumcised. You were separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, and a foreigner to the covenants of the promise. You had no hope and without God in the world, but now you have received His redeeming grace (Eph. 2:11-13). Do you care to know why He offered His best to save you (6-8)?

It is humbling and draws gratitude from the heart. It defines how we handle ourselves in this grace walk with Christ. We take nothing for granted but are thankful and submitted to His service, regardless of circumstances.

May the Lord help us all set down our pride and prostrate every day before He who sits enthroned in heaven and rules over all creation, seen and invisible (1:20-21).Then, in awe, ask why you have found such favor before Christ, your Redeemer and King.

Amen!

Celebrate Our Only Able Redeemer

Ruth 4:6

New International Version

At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

For Meditation

Boaz gave him the first right to redeem Ruth, Mahlon’s Moabite widow, because he was the closest relative in the late Elimelech’s family (Ruth 3:12; 4:1-12). The unnamed family redeemer readily agreed to redeem the property of Elimelech, but he gave it up when he realized the property came with Ruth. The transaction obligated him to marry Mahlon’s widow to raise a male child to continue the Elimelech lineage. He would not jeopardize his family estate for that purpose, so he declined (4:6).

Glory to God, Boaz, the God-ordained family redeemer, stood by to step in gladly to redeem Ruth (13). Their marriage became the bloodline of David, Israel’s first king, and ultimately, Jesus, our perfect family Redeemer (Matthew 1:5-6, 16).

We have just celebrated the occasion of our redemption by this Perfect Redeemer who gave His life a ransom for our souls (Mark 10:45). Sacrificed on the cross of Calvary, He died, got buried, and rose on the third day to declare victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). 

Just as the family redeemer couldn’t redeem Ruth because he had issues with his property to deal with, no one in all creation could redeem us because of their sin problem—not even the high priest with the sacrificial system (Hebrews 9:7; 10:1, 4). But thank God for the Perfect Lamb of God who stepped in to redeem us,

When Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God.’ (5-7).

By His perfect sacrifice, Christ has bought us from the slavery to sin into which we had sold ourselves (Romans 3:23-25; Ephesians 1:7; Titus 2:14). We rejoice because when no one else could, Christ unselfishly did it for us (Philippians 2:5-8). He paid the penalty for our sin in an exchange no other could do (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

What an exchange, and that is the gospel!

Brethren, we have cause to celebrate Christ Jesus, our Redeemer King, not only during Easter. We have a divine obligation to let our lives reflect this joy, which flows only from Redemption Hill and the Empty Grave. We do this by setting our hearts on Him, who sits above on the right hand of God, and our mind on His holiness and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1-3).

Can you worship Him in this self-sacrificed manner, as we live and suffer through this tumultuous world?       

Dealing with Our Hurts

John 20:25

New Living Translation

They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

For Encouragement

A dedicated disciple, Thomas was a keen but careful student of Jesus. His faith flourished. Though he did not get it completely, he revealed his allegiance when it mattered.

Consider the day the messengers came from Mary and Martha (Jn. 11:1-3). Their brother, Lazarus, was sick so they sent for Jesus. “Lord, the one you love is sick” (3). Jesus waited two more days before going to His friend at Bethany (6). His disciples protested. Not too long ago, the Jews had attempted His assassination, so why would He want to go back into the nest of the enemy? However, Thomas encouraged them,

Let us also go, that we may die with Him (16).

I see here a zealous disciple, willing to die with His Master, and that’s remarkable!

Again, imagine the scene in the Upper Room when Jesus comforted His confused disciples (Jn. 14:1-4). A hush ran over them, and sadness marked their faces. Why would the Master assume they knew enough to calm them down? Thomas would not assume understanding when it was not there. Unlike many of us, who will keep our hands down when we must seek clarification, our friend Thomas boldly said,

Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?

Because Thomas declared his ignorance and desire to know more, we have this bold declaration from Jesus that anchors our faith.

I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me (6).

Now, that is the mark of a man who did not want to miss anything the Master said, for that had become his passion and life.

How, then, does a faithful disciple like Thomas deal with the crushing blow of Calvary? When the Man he admired and trusted as powerful—the One who exercised authority over demons, nature, sicknesses, and even raised the dead, had died helpless on the wooden cross, how could Thomas believe again? How could he hope again?

All of us have peculiar ways of dealing with our disillusionments. Some declare war on God and cannot tolerate His name anymore. Others withdraw from fellowship to nurse their wounds in private for a while. Yet, others limp along, broken and wounded but pretending to be strong. Meanwhile, they do not know what to believe anymore. However, they put on the shine. Whatever it is with them, they are hurting and need healing.

Thank God for Christ Jesus! He mercifully gave Thomas the evidence he needed to believe again (26-28). With joy, Thomas declared,

My Lord and my God! (28).

His peculiarity had almost driven him to the far side of disbelief but for the grace of God. Oh, how we all need it!

So, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you, now and forever, amen!

Overwhelming Grace

Overwhelming Grace

Ruth 2:10

New International Version

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

For Meditation

Some stories remain fresh and stimulating forever. The story of Ruth is one of them, particularly the piece in chapter two that developed into a love story between Ruth and Boaz.

Ruth asks to go out into the harvest fields to find grain from any favorable farmer (Ruth 2:2). She ends up in Boaz’s field, a kinsman redeemer of their family. Coincidence?

That word is not part of the vocabulary of the kingdom of God. Instead, look up the word providence, and you will find the Lord’s rich field of love and grace.

 While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said.

“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.

You got the hint of a spiritual man, don’t you? If you wanted a husband for your daughter, would you bypass such a man without any consideration?

Then Boaz asked his supervisor,

Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?

Do not forget the word providence, my friend. When God is dealing His hand in His redemption story, providence is all over such situations. If you haven’t noticed yet, pay attention to Christ and see how He overwhelms you with what you see.

She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi (6).

The men testify to Ruth’s hard work and focus (7). That impresses Boaz. He goes over and speaks to her. Now stop right there!

Realize that though Ruth’s credentials led to the conversation with Boaz and everything that followed, it was not the actual trigger of the budding love. The Lord had already inclined the heart of Boaz towards Ruth. What follows, therefore, fits neatly into His redemptive plan.

Listen, my daughter. Stay right here … gather grain; don’t go to any other fields.

Boaz opens his field to Ruth, warns his young men concerning her, and gives her the right to the water drawn from his well (8-9). Do you get it?

What kindness! How could it lack the warmth of genuine love? The pieces are coming together on the canvas of providence, put together by the Master’s skillful brush strokes.

How does she respond to such grace?

Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner (10).”

I don’t know about you, but I am tearing up as I engage with the reaction of Ruth to the kindness of Boaz. That was my situation in the Field of Redemption on the day Christ took hold of me.

Beaten down by a cruel world, destitute, and needing a fresh breath of life, I remember how I sleepwalked into that Christian meeting in a hotel where I met my Boaz. His love flowed through the testimony of the keynote speaker for the day. My heart warmed as I saw my ugly life beamed on a big screen. Overwhelmed by His love, hot tears of sorrow from a contrite heart flooded my face, and I fell on my knees in surrender to His grace.

But has that wonder been my response to his daily flow of divine mercy and grace since then? Does the love of Christ still overwhelm me to draw such surrender and obedience to Him?

How about you? How do you respond to His grace? 

We can only fall on our face in pure worship of God in response to His abounding grace when we see ourselves in His mirror of love and mercy (Ephesians 2:12-13).

Shalom

When In Love

Genesis 29:18

New International Version

Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

For Meditation

Love makes everything easy. Nothing is a problem or hindrance to a person in love. They will do anything to win their beloved under any circumstance. 

When a man is in love, the price of a gift does not matter. He will travel any distance for love. He sees resistance as a bluff and confronts it with joy and hope. Opposition from family becomes the needed determination to conquer. No language, status, offense, insult, or time can stop the love train.

Where there is love, desire is high. There is enthusiasm, zeal, and energy to fire its engine.

Never try to stop a person in love. You’ll only elect yourself as the premier enemy of the lover.

Just revisit your love story—your journey of love with your spouse. And for those who just started a relationship, I am sure you know what you are experiencing. But check with me the love story of Jacob for a moment.

The young man was tired and weary from a long and eventful journey, running away from a vengeful brother. There was a lot on his mind, and love might not have been one of them. However, the meeting with a beautiful Rachel at the well in the open country changed everything for him (Genesis 29:1-12). 

Rachel had a lovely figure. She was so beautiful that when Laban, her father, asked Jacob to call his wages for working for him, Jacob just blurted out seven years of work for Rachel in marriage (18). Jacob called the price, folks – seven years! What love can do!

Despite involvement in the midnight deception, Laban dare ask Jacob to work extra years for the hand of Rachel; however, seven years seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her (20). 

Did you get it? Seven more years for love, but they seemed like a few days to Jacob. I am sure you did worse, but that is alright. You paid a premium price for your sweetheart, and that is godly. 

Remember the ultimate price God paid for our souls because of His love for us? 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10).

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (Romans 8:35).

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (38-39).

So, are you in love with Christ? What is the condition or limit of your love? How resilient is it if you are truly in love with Him? If not, what can you prayerfully do about it?

Peaceful Hearts and Minds

Philippians 4:8

New International Version

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

For Encouragement

Circumstances have a way of making us anxious and depressed. But thank God, He gives us peace when we pray and petition Him with thankful hearts (Phil. 4:6-7). He settles our racing and confused minds in Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace. We feel His closeness, power, and refreshing love in Him. It strengthens our faith and makes courage find a new place in our hearts. 

With the peace of God positioned as guards at the doors of our minds and hearts in Christ, we experience security against the troubles and challenges around us. Christ is in charge of our lives now, and our environment is calm amid a stormy world. That is when we must exercise extreme vigilance because things could change quickly without warning. We do this by the things on which we choose to set our minds.

In Colossians 3:1-2, Paul writes:

Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Our thinking pattern must be after godly things—things with eternal focus and trappings. Earthly and negative perspectives open doors to sneak attacks by the enemy and get us worrying again.

What movies do you watch, and how much time do you spend on them? How long do you sit through the news broadcast on various platforms? Do you consider the impact of the time you spend in gossip lanes? How much of the old hurts do you nurse or recall? 

These and much more could stir unwholesome and disturbing thoughts to unravel the peace God has given us. What then can you do to maintain the serenity God promises in the passage for today?

Paul commands eight things for the mind that wants to maintain divine peace in Christ against external conditions.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” 

That, folks, is God’s presence in your life. 

So, practice His presence daily, and may you continue to enjoy the peace only Christ Jesus can give you. Amen!

At the Bottom of the Pit

1 Kings 17:12

New International Version

“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

For Meditation

She was a Phoenician woman from Zarephath — a widow and a single mother, and that made life difficult for her in her culture in the days of Elijah. Idolatry was her experience, and Baal-Melqart, the god they credited with fertility, rainfall, and good harvest, was her god. The drought Elijah pronounced against Israel had hit her region very hard and caused severe famine, perhaps because that was the hometown of Jezebel, who infested Israel with the worship of Baal. The irony was that Baal could not do anything about the drought.

How to survive the deadly famine was the major issue confronting the Widow of Zarephath until Elijah showed up in her life (1 Kings 17:10). On that day, she was down to her last provision for a meal and then wait to die with her child.

“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” (12)

Elijah had news for her. The God of Israel had chosen her as his host, and if only she would believe and bake for him before herself, she would experience a supernatural supply of flour and oil until the day the God of Israel sends rain on the land (14); and that became her story and testimony to the Glory of God.

The Zarephath story may be your story in another form as you read this message. Remember that God loves and cares for you. Perhaps you are afflicted in many ways. God sees you and hears your prayers. Your heavy heart is open before Him, and He cares. In His perfect timing, He will visit you according to His sovereign will and plan for your life.

He may not move as he did in the Zarephath story, but He will step into your situation, anyway. Only open your eyes to what He is doing around you. Listen to what He is possibly telling you through a mature and faithful Christian that may even challenge your faith to the core. Do what you hear the Spirit of wisdom and revelation tells you, and let God be God for His glory in your situation. Amen!

The widow met a stranger with a strange and difficult request, but God led her to receive her blessing through their encounter. 

Needing the Light of God

Photo by Mathias Reding on Pexels.com

Genesis 3:7

New International Version

 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

For Meditation

They packed the stadium, fans from all over the country, in the cool of a Sunday night. The match between the top two rival teams of the soccer league had lived beyond the hype. For Eighty-six minutes, the soccer match had produced an even scoreboard. Who will lift the coveted champion’s cup this year? Syncopated cheers punctuated the air as the teams displayed their brilliance and zeal to carry the day with the pride and delight of their fans. The floodlights went out and threw the stadium into pitch darkness. A disappointing roar reverberated through the stadium and their expectation of a quick resolution captured every mind.

Flickers of lights from the supporters’ cell phones were all one could see, with shadows around the gigantic stadium. Suddenly, the sound of rapid gunfire and pandemonium broke everywhere. All you could hear was screaming and shouting as everybody rushed towards the exits shrouded in darkness. The sound from the machine guns surrounded the soccer fans, now turned into captives of the stadium. What turned things so ugly suddenly?

Let me take you back to Eden, that beautiful Garden the Lord God planted and put the first couple in as resident overseers. Adam and Eve had the liberty to eat of every tree in the Garden except the one tree God forbade them with severe consequences to reap (Genesis 2:8-9). Obedience filled the Garden with light (3:8) until they disobeyed God and listened to the serpent (6-7).

The light that gives life went out, as God had said. Darkness filled their hearts and everywhere around them. Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves and hid from God. They dreaded His voice and couldn’t bear his presence (8-10). They were alive, but Adam and Eve were dead, a condition their posterity inherited.

That was the condition in the Garden God came into the day He confronted the first couple. It was a condition that demanded His intervention. His judgment of the serpent included the promise of a remedy to our sin and death that will  work reconciliation between God and man through the seed of the woman (15). In the meantime, God, in His mercy, replaced their leaf-covering with a skin-covering. He sent them out of Eden lest they eat of the Tree of Life and remain in their dead condition forever (21-24). What grace!

As you look forward to Christmas, consider what demanded the coming of Christ into the world. Think about the outpouring of mercy and grace from the throne of God because of His love for you. Consider your response to this amazing love and thank Him with all your heart. But do not forget to share this story of God’s love through Christ Jesus with others around you who need divine rescue from the dominion of darkness into His marvelous light (Colossians 1:13, 1 Peter 2:9).

The Blessed But

1 Peter 2:10

New International Version

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

For Encouragement

Sometimes, it is good to stop everything to reflect on the goodness of God and rejoice and praise Him. Despite our dire circumstances and the crushing weight of our condemning sin, with its tremendous afflictions, we have cause to thank the Lord and praise Him. For where would we be without His love, mercy, and grace?

Our focal scripture reminds us of our former terrible situation before Christ and sets it against the backdrop of what the grace of God has made us in Christ Jesus (1 Peter 2:10). Peter reminds us we had no identity as a people. However, we have now become a people of God in Christ. His mercy was far from us. His justice, therefore, mandated our condemnation to death and hell. 

But through Christ, our situation has changed forever, hallelujah! We have received mercy and grace for our salvation.

We now have an identity in Christ as a people of God because of the outpouring of His mercy on us. God calls us His chosen people, His royal priests, His holy nation, and His very own possession (9). What Israel was to God, we have become to Him in Christ and much more.

Paul puts it this way: 

Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews… In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:11-13).

O blessed ‘but’! 

How tall it stands between our past and present lives to highlight God’s grace lavished on us, reminding us of our current eternal situation in Christ Jesus – the fulcrum on which our lives changed that we will never forget.

In verses 1- 6, Paul reminds us of our dead situation in our transgressions and sins, but for the grace of God, we are now alive in Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realms.

In 1 Corinthians 1:26-30, the apostle prompts us to remember our nothingness in this world before Christ, but for God! Through Jesus, He has used our foolishness, weakness, and debased position in life to display His glory to the world. Isn’t that wonderful?

So why can’t we praise the Lord today? Why can’t we worship God acceptably in response to Paul’s passionate appeal to us who are beneficiaries of His grace (Romans 12:1-2)?

Praise the Lord, somebody!