Ruth 2v1-23

The Gleaning (Part Five)

(Click here to listen to the third Ruth teaching)

Verse of the Week:

“...WE WERE AS GENTLE AMONG YOU AS A MOTHER FEEDING AND CARING FOR HER OWN CHILDREN. WE LOVED YOU SO MUCH THAT WE GAVE YOU NOT ONLY GOD’S GOOD NEWS BUT OUR OWN LIVES, TOO.” 1 Thessalonians 2v7b, 8 NLT

More Words from the Father:

1 Samuel 1v19-2:11

1 Samuel 2v18-21

John 19v25-27

Ruth 4v15

Psalm 127

Psalm 78v1-7

From my Heart:

Pages from the past: September 1998

Off to School

 Today my little boy went off to school.

He was afraid. I was afraid.

He was excited. So was I.

He was brave. I cried.

We chattered cheerfully in the van on the way to school. He looked so fresh and grown up in his new haircut, plaid shirt tucked neatly in, appropriately cool baggy pants and black suede tennis shoes. I took pictures in front of the flagpole. He smiled.

Walking into the classroom, he gripped my hand in sweaty palm and sat oh-so-quietly at his pint-sized desk.

“Don’t leave yet, Mom. Wait ‘til all the other parents go…”

I rubbed his back and labeled his supplies. Crayons, scissors, lots of glue, a binder covered in G. I. Joe stickers. I took a picture of my little boy at his desk. No smile.

Time for Mom to leave. One last squeeze of his shoulder. One last kiss on his cheek and out the door.

That’s when the tears betrayed me. Unbidden, they pushed against my eyes, threatening to embarrass me completely. Gulping them back, I waved with false cheer at a neighbor and drove in my empty van to my empty house. So quiet.

No chaos, no arguments, no laughter, no messes.

I have looked forward to this day. I have made plans. For years I had said, “When my children all go to school…”

Yet today I can do nothing. I grieve an end of an era. An era I have loved, filled with memories I cherish.

I did my share of complaining to be sure. “Can’t I even go to the bathroom alone?!” But I loved the unrushed mornings cuddling with blankie and bear and my squirmy little boy.

I loved the Lego creations and the storybooks and Wee Sing tapes. I loved sidewalk chalk and popsicles dribbling down dimpled chins. Rainy days spent building forts in the family room with blankets anchored with encyclopedias.

Most of all, I have loved the absolute trust in his eyes. He knows I am here for him to protect him, to be proud, to understand.

For I am Mom. Matthew’s mom. The Best-Mom-in-the-Whole-World.

That is who I was yesterday when I held him as a babe in my arms. It is who I am today as I leave him at his desk- at school. And tomorrow, when he is a man, I will still be…Mom.

From my heart,

Diane

ETC.

King Eglon

“the very fat man” 

The ancient Jewish Midrash claims that Ruth was actually the daughter of the infamous Moabite King Eglon. Of course, no one can know for sure, as there is no concrete written record to confirm such speculation. Reaching back into history, let’s take a look at his story…

Sometime towards the beginning of the period of the Judges of Israel, a despised Moabite King led a coalition of Moabites, Ammonites, and Amalekites (all of whom were distant relatives of the tribes of Israel, descendants of Lot’s incestuously conceived sons) who attacked and conquered the land of Promise. King Eglon and his entourage set up some sort of headquarters at Jericho also called the City of Palms. There they collected a required monetary tribute from the subdued yet subversive Israelites.

In 1933, a British archeologist uncovered the Palace of Eglon. It was a single structure set in solitude amongst the rubble of the once great city of Jericho. On top of the building was an “aleah,” a rooftop sitting room that provided a cool retreat from the heat of the day. These rooms were built to catch the prevailing winds, a kind of unmechanized air conditioning, which only the very rich enjoyed. It was there that King Eglon sat in all his condescending splendor to accept the tribute so abhorrent to his conquered enemies.

For 18 years, King Eglon ruled over the Israelites, draining their already subsistent economy to the point of poverty.

Finally, the over-burdened people of God “cried out to the Lord” (Judges 3v15). Yahweh had prepared a man for this very purpose - a man named Ehud. His name means “loner” and indeed, he stood alone for God in his courageous and dangerous mission. Ehud was an interesting choice. The text states that he was left-handed, but a further look at the Hebrew wording indicates that in reality, he relied on his left hand due to the fact that his right hand was rendered useless. Ironically,

Ehud was born into the tribe of the Benjamites, which means “son of the right hand.” In spite of his handicap, or maybe because of it, God used him to set His people free from a particularly oppressive enemy. Here’s how it happened: Ehud studied his opponents meticulously before crafting his daring plan. He knew that the guards had become careless over the years. No one had ever made a valid threat on their king’s life. It was their habit to haphazardly search visiting emissaries with a cursory search for weapons on the right side of the body. After all, every soldier knew that weapons might be hidden on the right side of a man’s body where they could be drawn swiftly. In addition to that useful piece of knowledge, Ehud understood that the king was an enormously obese man who spent his days on the aleah in an attempt to alleviate his discomfort in the hot Middle Eastern climate. His own country of Moab sat high on a plateau, cooled to a comfortable year round temperature by breezes from the Mediterranean Sea.

Crafting a custom-made sword, which historians believe would have been at least 30 inches long, he strapped it to his left side before entering the King’s chamber to pay his tribute. After much bowing and a plentitude of eastern obeisance, the entourage filed out. But not Ehud. He turned to the king and whispered, “I have a secret for you…”

At once, the foolish King sent his bodyguards out; eager to hear what he must have thought would benefit him in some way. Alone, now, Ehud approached the King, thrust the double-edged sword straight towards his belly, and killed him. To his surprise and horror, the sword disappeared into the fat man’s belly without a trace (My, the gruesome stories that must have proliferated around the campfires that night)!

Quickly, Ehud slipped out of the rooftop chamber, locking the doors behind him. As he hurried out of the palace he could hear the worried whispers of the servants, wondering why the King seemed to be taking so long. “Perhaps he’s going to the bathroom,” (the less-than-polite transliteration of the idiom “he’s covering his feet” in verse 24) the servants murmured, as they went about their business. Meanwhile, Ehud escaped unnoticed and blew a trumpet in a signal to summon the fighting men of Israel. They gathered at the ford of the Jordan River, cutting down thousands of Moabite men fleeing their fallen king.

-Read all about it in Judges 3-

Midrash

The Jewish Midrash is an ancient commentary on parts of the Hebrew Scriptures. These were written by rabbis “both steeped in Bible and absorbed by the Jewish questions of their time.” In particular, the “Great Midrash” is the name of the collections linked to the five books of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) and the “Five Scrolls” (Esther, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, and Ecclesiastes).

Compiled between 200 and 1000 A.D., these writings are, in effect, commentaries, which have earned the respect of Jewish scholars and teachers. These documents hold no claim to infallibility and are used primarily for the application of Biblical teaching to Jewish life and law.

 Ruth 2v1-23

The Gleaning (Part Four)

(Click here to listen to the third Ruth teaching)

Verse of the Week:

“MAY THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, UNDER WHOSE WINGS YOU HAVE COME TO TAKE REFUGE, REWARD YOU FULLY.” Ruth 2v12 NLT

More Words from the Father:

Psalm 36v7-8

Psalm 91

John 14v1-6

Matthew 10v16-31

2 Timothy 1v7

From my Heart:

In the Shadow

Fear has stalked me my whole life.

Since I can remember, I’ve been afraid. Afraid of heights, afraid of falling, afraid ofgetting lost in the grocery story, afraid of getting in trouble, afraid of anything fast.

Nicknames get attached to little girls like that…

Scaredy-cat,

Chicken,

Worry-wart...

I was afraid of people too. Afraid of being noticed, of talking to someone I didn’t know. Afraid of standing in front of people, of giving book reports, of giving speeches. Afraid to walk to my teacher’s desk to ask a question (After all, someone might see me!).

My imagination ran rampant. It ran my life, defined my days, and determined my future.

And my fears grew up with me.

As a teenager, I was afraid to walk through the courtyard area where hundreds of students gathered for lunch. Instead, I’d walk all the way around the school to slip into the cafeteria unnoticed.

As a young woman, I was terrified of staying alone at night. Every creak and groan of our old house shot a surge of adrenalin through me. Was someone there?

I wouldn’t drive alone to visit my little sister in college three hours away. The roads were isolated, after all. What if my little Volkswagen Bug broke down?

Earthquakes scared me the most. When I was fifteen, my family moved to California. Every few months, it seemed, the earth rattled and shook. The slightest tremor would leave me weak-kneed for weeks. I imagined the house coming crashing down around me, being trapped, alone. The rumbling of a truck left me scurrying for cover, an airplane overhead sent my heart racing.

But somewhere in there I gave my heart and life to Christ. I heard that He was my Father.

That He cared about me. That He would take care of me. I read His Word and sang His songs and surrounded myself with His people. Little by little, fears fled. I grew more confident, composed even.

But earthquakes were still my undoing.

I remember sitting on the edge of my bed once, talking on the phone, when the bed began to wiggle wildly. I turned to scold my son (sure he was bouncing on the bed!) only to realize that the whole room was shaking! I could hardly sleep on that antique iron bed after that, every movement felt like that tremor.

I prayed for courage…prayed for strength…prayed for healing…

Nothing.

It seemed I was destined to be defeated by fear for the rest of my life.

Then it struck. On a mellow October day, the Great Quake of ‘89 rocked my world. Literally. As soon as it started, I knew it was a big one. Really big. Hollering for my kids over the earsplitting roar, I grabbed them close as we huddled in a doorway. When it was finally over, we weaved our way through our broken glass-filled living room to the back yard. News from neighbors filtered in fast. Several tuned in to the emergency broadcast system since phones were out and power lines down. Hundreds of people had been crushed beneath falling bridges and buildings. Some were still trapped.

And that’s how God freed me of fear.

In that moment, when all our lives were completely and unequivocally out of our control, He stepped in. He took over. He became to me who He is-

 El Roi: the God Who Sees

El Shaddai: the All-Sufficient One

Adonai: Master

Who can fear when He is so supremely in charge? When the Master of the Universe, the One who can shake and subjugate the very earth, is watching over me, how dare I be afraid? Suddenly my fear-filled life seemed silly, trite, and petty.

A few weeks later, Phil and I wrote our first and only song together. And though the tune is over two decades old now, the words still ring true and ageless. Perhaps this is a song Ruth could have sung as she labored out in those fields, gleaning, working, sweating, yet resting in the shadow of the Almighty (Ruth 2v12).

In the Shadow of His Wings

By Phil and Diane Comer

In the shadow of Thy wings I find my refuge,

In the shadow of Thy wings I will abide,

It is there that I will lay my burdens and my cares,

It is only there my heart finds rest.

It is there that I will feel You lift my heavy load,

And in the shadow of Thy wings,

In the shadow of Thy wings,

Yes, in the shadow of Thy wings

I’ll rest,

For in the shadow of Thy wings

I’m blessed.

In the shadow of Thy wings, I find my refuge

In the shadow of Thy wings, I will abide

For You are the source of strength

To those who wait for You

And in Your strength I’ll run and not grow tired

For You are the Most High God,

It's You that I desire

And in the shadow of Thy wings,

In the shadow of Thy wings,

Yes, in the shadow of Thy wings,

I’ll rest,

For in the shadow of Thy wings

I’m blessed.

From my no longer fearful heart,

Diane

ETC.

Words

Wings

Boaz pays Ruth a beautiful compliment when he meets her for the first time. Apparently, he’d been inquiring about her previously, for he already knew of her reputation around town.

“May the LORD reward your work, And your wages be full from the LORD, The God of Israel, Under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” Ruth 2v12

The Hebrew word translated here as “wings” is kenapayim. Later in Ruth 3v9, the same word is translated into English with the word “skirt.” When a woman took refuge under the “skirt” or the “wings” of a man’s garment, she became his wife - his to take care of, to provide for, to lead, and to love. All the town, and Boaz especially, took notice of Ruth’s devotion and dependence on Yahweh. She was like one married to Him. Faithful, determined, secure, and thriving.

No wonder Boaz couldn’t keep his eyes off her!

Words

Fear

Jesus taught that fear is something to be battled. We have the ability to choose not to fear.

Fear and afraid come from the same Greek word: phobeo. It is where we get our English word, phobia. The meaning is rich and graphic: to put in fear, terrify, frighten. At its root is a sense of terror and of running for your life. 

Timidity is a little different. Deilia means cowardice or one who is cowardly and fearful.

Paul spoke of a “spirit of timidity” that does not come from God (2 Timothy 1v7). He also referred to a “spirit of bondage” which leads to fear (Romans 8v15). Both of these spirits are to be replaced with the truth of God’s Word.

Ruth 2v1-23

The Gleaning (Part Three)

(Click here to listen to the third Ruth teaching)

Verse of the Week:

“THE LORD WILL ACCOMPLISH WHAT CONCERNS ME…” Psalm 138v8a NASB

More Words from the Father:

Genesis 1

Psalm 90v12,16,17

Psalm 30v10

Psalm 57v2, 3

Psalm 138v8

Ephesians 2v10

(John 14v16; 15v26; 16v7)

From my Heart:

Tossing and Turning

I worried as I tossed and turned all last night. A running dialogue of what if’s and mustdo’s galloped behind my closed eyelids, robbing me of rest and leaving my bed a rumpled mash of misbegotten bed sheets.

It was a relief to wake up!

Rolling out of that wrestling ring of worry, I reached for two ibuprofen to ease the aches and pains my buffeted body bore, padded down to the kitchen to make my morning tea, lit a candle or two to chase away the sodden gloom, and drank in the healing Words of God.

Comfort…

Assurance…

Control (His, not mine!).

Soon my weariness lifted as I poured out my petty worries to God. Like a child, I showed Him my “owies.” Nothing earth-shattering or even heart-breaking, just daily stuff and my usual “How will I get it all done?” My self-imposed standards of perfection chasing joy and peace right out of my day. He reminded me - with the patience that makes me love Him all the more - of a few lessons already taught, if not yet fully learned. I’ll pass some of those on to you, in case you’re popping a few aspirins of your own…

1). Don’t cram too much into one day. Specifically, don’t crowd too many different categories of tasks into one day. Looking back at His plan for creating the world (a bit bigger than my burdens today), each day took on a logical, well thought through order. First light, then the skies, then land on which to grow food, then seasons…You see the idea? He had a plan. My frantic hurrying from thing to thing leaves me exhausted, discombobulated (I love that word!), dingy, and out-of-sorts. No wonder my head aches!

2). Acknowledge what you have done. Again, in the creation story, at the end of each and every day, the Lord looked back over His accomplishments and relished the completed creativity of His work. A simple notebook will do the job. Set it beside your bed and take a few minutes each night to list the things you did accomplish that day. Come on, write it down! You’ll be surprised how much you did on a day when you “didn’t get anything done.”

3). Remember who is in control (hint: not you!). If only I could get this one through my thick head! I am not in charge. I have abandoned my life to God and told Him in all sincerity that I want Him to control everything, everyone, every circumstance, every detail of my life. But He’s not so neat and tidy. He does things differently than I do. And He doesn’t usually tell me why! (Read Psalm 138:8).

4). He has a plan and purpose for me. This is one of the most exhilarating, energizing truths to ever grip me. The fact that He has specific tasks for me to accomplish… assigned tasks just for me…wow! I read once that giving your kids chores to do around the house enhances their self-esteem. So I did. Lots of chores. They were the most self-esteemed kids on the block. And now I have a chore list from the Father…because He thinks I’m the one to do it. Every time I think about that, I sit up a little straighter, clear my desk, and get to work (read Ephesians 2:10). …and moms, remember that your tasks have names…

We don’t know if Ruth worried or if Naomi lay awake at night wondering what to do. But we do know that their lives were full of challenges. There was plenty to worry about. But this story is written for our encouragement - to let us see how our Father works behind the scenes to help us.

After all, Helper is one of His names!

From my heart,

Diane

(Check His name out in John 14v16; 15v26, and 16v7).

ETC:

Mystery and Mystique

Many students of the Word see shadows of truths taught elsewhere in Scripture played out in this story of Ruth. These scholars tend to lend a metaphorical meaning into the biblical narrative. The dispensational theologians, such as Merrill Unger (Unger’s Bible Handbook) read all sorts of lessons and prefigures into many of the characters and events in Ruth. And while certainly not the original meaning behind the story, a speculative look at this form of interpretation is at the very least, insightful.

Here’s what he says:

1. Naomi reflects Israel, the chosen people.

2. Elimelech depicts Israel’s prosperity in the land, married to the Lord and faithful to Him.

3. The sorrows of Naomi speak of spiritual failure and chastisement.

4. Elimelech’s death in a foreign land illustrates Israel’s national rejection of the Lord during her years of exile.

5. Naomi’s return to Bethlehem suggests Israel’s decision to set her face homeward.

6. Orpah, who remained in Moab, speaks of the unbelieving mass of Jews who elected to remain among foreign lands when Israel was reestablished as a nation.

7. Ruth portrays the faithful remnant of the nation, which will ultimately come in touch with the Kinsman-Redeemer.

8. The barley harvest signifies the end of the age (Matthew 13v30).

9. Ruth resting at Boaz’s feet represents the truth that rest can only be found at the foot of the Redeemer.

10. Boaz is a type of Christ, our Redeemer.

Beware however, of pressing this too far. J. Vernon McGee, a well-respected expositor, writes that such interpretation is indeed “suggestive” but warns his readers against “wandering off into the field of speculation.”

 Ruth 2v1-23

The Gleaning (Part Two)

(Click here to listen to the third Ruth teaching)

Verse of the Week:

“FOR JUST AS THE HEAVENS ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH, SO ARE MY WAYS HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS AND MY THOUGHTS HIGHER THAN YOUR THOUGHTS.” Isaiah 55v9 NLT

More Word from the Father:

Isaiah 55v8,9

Proverbs 16v3

Psalm 37v1-34

Jeremiah 29v11

James 4v13-15

Matthew 11v28-30

From my Heart:

A Test and a Task

 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55v8, 9

God didn’t just sweep in and rescue Ruth. He didn’t “heal” her. Instead, God gave her a task to do. A test of obedience.

A job to accomplish.

And that’s so often the way He works.

We want healing; He gives enabling. We want answers; He asks questions. We yearn for guarantees, signs, wonders; He waits for faith, yielding, and surrender. His ways often perplex us, usually confuse us, and always satisfy us in the end.

God knew what He was doing with Ruth…and she didn’t have a clue. She didn’t need to and she wasn’t supposed to.

And that, my dear friends, is just the way it is…

From my heart,

Diane

ETC:

Gleaning

A bite to eat…

They were two hungry women without income, without land, and without a provider. Their city had no welfare office to request assistance. There were no women’s shelters, no soup kitchen. What were they to do? While Naomi twiddled her aching thumbs, Ruth came up with an idea. Gleaning. Where she heard of it, or how she thought of it, is unclear. The practice was uniquely Jewish.

Like many countries today, most of the Middle East relied on subsistence agriculture to feed their people, barely. Trade was nearly non-existent, and generosity might well jeopardize the well being of the giver’s dependents. All this left two widows without resources in dire straits.

Gleaning, however, was God’s idea. First mentioned in Leviticus 23:22, and then reiterated in Deuteronomy 24:17-22, the Israelites were commanded to leave a little behind when harvesting all kinds of grains, grapes, and olives. That enabled the poor to provide for their basic needs through their own hard work. And gleaning was indeed hard work! Bending over for hours on end, pulling and cutting the grain, battling flies, rodents, snakes, and people who prey on the disadvantaged, this was not for the faint of heart.

For Ruth to stoop so low (pardon the pun), she had to have been desperate. No wonder she felt the need to ask for Naomi’s permission before she set out. When she “happed” (that’s the quaint King James wording) to land in the field of Boaz, who happened to be a distant relative of her father-in-law, who also happened to be a kind and God-fearing man, even the soured and cynical Naomi did a little jig for joy.

Gleaning became Ruth’s task, Naomi’s blessing, and God’s rescue.

What Did They Eat?

Since the earliest of days, God’s people have celebrated His abundance with feasts and food. It was His idea, after all! As a means of remembering His goodness, He instituted a series of holidays throughout the year, all of which involved good food. But what did they eat? Where did they get it? How was it harvested?

Historians and archeologists have found a plethora of evidence indicating just what the Israelites ate in the Promised Land. Let’s take a look at what filled their larders.

Seven crops dominated the farm land of Canaan:

Wheat- mostly ground to make bread.

Barley- also ground for bread and other baked goods, sometimes eaten raw.

Grapes- primarily red grapes were grown for wine, to eat fresh, to make vinegars and raisins. Raisin cakes were used as a favorite “fast food” which could be taken on a journey.

Figs- figs ripened in June and then again in August or September. The first crop was generally eaten fresh, and the second picking was dried to eat during the winter months. Figs were also used in the making of special wines.

Pomegranates- juice and wine were made from fresh pomegranates harvested in the hot Judean summer months. The seeds were eaten fresh or dried for later use.

Olives- harvesting the olives during the months of September and October gave the Israelites plenty of rich olive oil for cooking and baking. The oil was also used as a medicine, a lotion, lamp oil, and for anointing kings to their thrones. There is, however, no record of the Hebrews eating olives in Old Testament times.

Honey- some scholars believe that the honey referred to throughout the Old Testament is actually the juice produced by the date palm tree. The juice was extracted from the trunk of the tree and used as a drink, either fresh or fermented.

There were other, less plentiful foods available as well. Apricots and nuts (such as almond, pistachio, and walnut) were cultivated. Legumes were grown, including beans, lentils, chick-peas (we know them as garbanzo beans), and peas. Eventually garlic was planted, as well as onions and cucumbers.

And of course, the shepherds of the land kept the people well supplied with the meat and milk of sheep and goats as well as the by-products thereof, such cheese in many forms.

The Promised Land was indeed a land overflowing with abundance. With hard work and God’s blessings, the people of Israel need never have suffered a moment of real hunger. They could trust God to feed them from the abundance of His hand as long as they kept their covenant promises with Him.

The Blessing

“The Lord will make you abound in prosperity…in the offspring of your beast…in the offspring of your ground, in the land…The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, The heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand…” Deuteronomy 28v10-12

The Curse

Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things…” Deuteronomy 28v47-48

The Gleaning

Ruth 2:1-23 (Part One)

(click here to listen to the third teaching in the Ruth study.)

Now we get to the good part. We’re agonizing with Naomi, fearful for Ruth, frustrated with the so-called friends who leave them tired and hungry at their doorstep.

And…in walks Boaz. Of course he was tall, dark, and handsome (actually the text leaves this bit of Hollywood drama out), just the man to come to their rescue. He’s John Wayne and Billy Graham all wrapped into one.

As Ruth resorts to the backbreaking labor of gleaning for leftover grain, she “haps” on the field of the one man who is both willing and able to rescue her from a life of destitution.

This scene is full of spiritual innuendo. Boaz, representing our own Redeemer, Jesus, is a man full of grace and good will. He cares about Ruth. He asks questions, shows concern, and offers hope. Then he lavishes grace upon her, immediately elevating her from starvation to salvation, all without asking anything in return.

This unexpected twist in our story leaves us longing for more. Somewhere deep inside every woman lies this yearning to be loved and protected. Now the story takes on even deeper implications as we begin to see the way our Savior rescues us right when we need Him the most.

Come with me as we follow the story of Ruth, gleaning our own treasures of wisdom and understanding sprinkled throughout the Scriptures. And keep an eye on Boaz, for I have a feeling you’re going to be falling head over heels in love with him before the story ends.

Verse of the Week:

“… be still” Psalm 46:10 NIV

More Words from the Father:

Matthew 28:1-10

Luke 12:32

Psalm 4:4

Psalm 46:10

Isaiah 61:1-11

Isaiah 43:1-3

1 Peter 1:6-9,

13; 2:18-25; 4:19

From my Heart:

An Impossible Obstacle

“And the angel of the Lord…came…and sat upon the stone.” (Matthew 28:2)

The stone stood as a silent sentinel, blocking the entrance to the cave. On the other side, or so she thought, lay Jesus, her Lord. And wrapped up with Him lay all her shattered hopes and dreams. Dead.

She’d come to say good-bye - farewell to faith.

She’d come to grieve - to let go of the hope that had held her in such wild expectation every time He talked.

It was over now. Best to be done with it and cope with reality…

deal with drudgery…

face her future…

But that stone blocked her way.

Falling to the ground in a heap of defeated despair, pulling her knees tight against her chest, she rocked back and forth, back and forth, as her sobs filled the early morning air.

Why…

was…

life…

so…

hard…?

Waves of grief shook her. Years of hurt overwhelmed her reason, spilling out upon the unyielding realities of that stone. There was nothing to do but die.

Somewhere in the periphery of her mind she sensed movement, but her sorrow was too great to stop and listen. But there.

A sound...A scrape.

Was that a cough?

Her sobs slowed, again a noise.

Fear froze her. Oh no, what now?

Slowly, hesitantly, as if she could wait away the next disaster, she looked up.

An angel sitting on the stone,

that gargantuan…

immovable…

uncontrollable mountain of impossibilities…

And the stone was moved…just like that.

Is a stone blocking your way to life? To peace? To joy? Have you worn yourself out trying to push it away? Have you exhausted your soul trying everything to change your circumstances? Are you sweaty and angry and defeated and discouraged? Have you lost hope?

Sit still awhile. Sit at the tomb of your tomorrows and let yourself grieve what might have been…should have been. Cry it all out.

And when you’re done,

listen…

shhh…

quiet…

be still…

In the ashes of your grief, in the failure of your fantasies of how life ought to be, sits Jesus. In dazzling white He sits atop that stone…

immune to impossibilities…

with a different idea of the ideal.

And while you’re there, let Him fill you with His hope and His dreams. Let Him store those tears away, pack up your past, relinquish your regrets, and give you a new start, a new life … a renewed hope.

After all, He rolled away that stone.

From my heart,

Diane

ETC.

Boaz

How do I begin to introduce you to Boaz? Here is the man every woman dreams of: a hero, a warrior, a friend. He is successful, driven, relational, kind, and appealing. He is godly, he takes initiative, he notices things, he listens, he leads. People like him, his reputation is irrefutable, his integrity undeniable. This is a man that a woman can trust implicitly.

The rest of this story is so real, so raw. Naomi with her bitterness. Orpah who walks away. Ruth with a reputation to overcome. From whence came this perfect man? How does he fit in this story of grief, of heartache, of broken people? What was the author thinking?

God wrote this book. Oh, He used the pen of a person, for sure. But He is the author. He created the characters, narrated the plot, came up with the protagonist and the antagonist, the beginning, the climax, and the sweet ending. So what’s He up to with Boaz?

The term that theologians use is “typology.” Boaz is a type of Christ. In other words, Boaz is a picture - painted with words and images, impressions, and dialogue - of Jesus, or at least of some aspects of Jesus. Other types of Christ include Joseph, David, Adam, and Melchizedek. Each tells a story of something God wants us to discover about His son. And while theologians emphasize the Kinsman- Redeemer aspect of Boaz, I think there is much more here to draw us into a love relationship with Jesus.

Look at the way he blesses his workers (Ruth 2:4). See how he shows interest in someone in dire straits (2:5), how he protects (2:9), and serves, even though he is clearly the boss (2:14). Hear his gracious speech (2:11) and his blessing directed at Ruth (2:12). Notice how Boaz takes care of Ruth’s needs, leaving her satisfied and overflowing (2:14). Look at his mercy in giving her far more than she deserved (2:16). This guy is amazing!

But there’s more. Boaz’s name means “strength.” He is extremely wealthy, a landowner, and a local leader of significant influence. He respects the Mosaic Law and knows its intricacies well enough to untangle what could have become a mess for Naomi (4:1-10).

Boaz’s reputation continued long after his death. Look at his influence on his son and grandsons: Obed, Jesse, David, Solomon. King Solomon was Boaz’s great, great grandson. In an obvious reference to the honor he felt towards his heritage, he named one of the foundational pillars in Solomon’s Temple after this man (1 Kings 7:21).

Take some time to ruminate on the qualities of Boaz painted so painstakingly in the story of Ruth. Observe, notice, list, circle, and underline. He is no braggart who trumpets his goodness, so you’ll have to dig a little. Read between the lines. Warm up to him and watch how everyone else in the story does as well.

As you discover the beautiful characteristics of Boaz, let these truths fill you with the beauty of Jesus. Feast on the richness of Jesus, the man. Relish the pursuit of Jesus, the lover. And by all means, worship Jesus, our Redeemer.

Ruth 1v6-22

The Journey (Part Five) 

 (Click here to listen to the second Ruth teaching.)

Verse of the Week:

“THE STEPS OF A MAN ARE ESTABLISHED BY THE LORD, AND HE DELIGHTS IN HIS WAY. WHEN HE FALLS, HE SHALL NOT BE HURLED HEADLONG.” Psalm 37:23, 24 NASB

More Words from the Father:

Psalm 37

Matthew 11:28-30

From my Heart:

Pages from the past: May 1991

Discouraged

I am discouraged.

Weak.

Weary.

Wanting to run away from loneliness.

It doesn’t happen to me very often.

Usually I am the strong one.

Not now.

Right now I am the weak one.

I am tired of battling.

Tired of giving.

Tired of loneliness.

No martyr’s cross has gotten me to the scarred place.

Just myriads of little crosses

all lined up back to back

like so many dominoes

precariously placed

threatening to wipe me out.

In this place of weariness

no one knows but You.

The great façade hides

well the tears…

the doubts…

the fears…

“Come to Me,” You gently say,

“Come take My rest.”

You take me as I am

wanting nothing in return.

You know the way it is

down here,

You know the way I hurt.

Fill up the empty places, Lord,

the aching places of my heart.

Hold tightly to my weakened hand.

This weary child needs help.

From my heart,

Diane

ETC.

The Journey

The journey the two widows took from the land of Moab to the town of Bethlehem in Israel was a long and arduous trek. Their way would have started out on a high plateau about 3,000 feet above sea level, bordered on the east by the Arabian dessert and west by the Dead Sea. They would have had to cross the River Arnon (in present day Jordan), then travel north along the King’s Highway, through the multitude of wadis (steep ravines) which characterized the area. Their path would have led them alongside Mount Nebo, the mountain Moses climbed to meet God before his death. They would have crossed into Israel by the fords of the Jordan River near Jericho, following the Jericho Road 15 miles west to Jerusalem. From there, the rough dirt roads would have taken them five more miles into the town of Bethlehem. Depending on where they were settled in Moab, the trip would have been 70 to 100 miles in length, most likely entirely on foot.

Ruth 1v6-22

The Journey (Part Four)

(Click here to listen to the second Ruth teaching) 

Verse of the Week:

“I AM SELF-SUFFICIENT IN CHRIST’S SUFFICIENCY.” PHILIPPIANS 4:13 AMP

More Words from the Father:

Philippians 1-2:18

From my Heart:

Empty…or Full?

“I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.” - Naomi (Ruth 1:21)

What’s this? Naomi complains to her friends that she left Bethlehem a decade or so ago with full coffers? She fled a famine full?

And now, with the House of Bread overflowing with food and a beautiful, loyal, committed daughter by her side she’s come back with nothing? Empty?

Naomi sounds like a lot of us.

“College is a tough time. So much work, so much pressure, a poor college student. If I could just finish…

then I’ll be happy.”

“No one is asking me out. Poor me, nobody loves me. If I could just find a husband…

then I’d be happy.”

“My husband just doesn’t understand me. If only I could get a different husband…

then I’d be happy.”

“Saving for a house is so hard. We both work fulltime, we’re exhausted and have nothing left over. If we could just buy a house of our own…

then I’d be happy.”

“This house is too small. We need more room, a bigger yard, a nicer neighborhood. If only we could buy a bigger house…

then I’d be happy.”

“All my friends are pregnant; a life growing inside of them. I want a baby. Then we’d be like a real family and…

then I’d be happy.”

“I hate being pregnant! My feet are swollen, my back aches, and I can’t sleep. If only I’d have this baby now…

then I’d be happy.”

“I’m up all night, I’m exhausted all the time and all I do is change diapers. If only my kids were in school…

then I’d be happy.”

“My kids drive me crazy! All I do is drive them from school to practice to lessons to games. I’m just a taxi driver with no time to myself. If only the kids could drive…

then I’d be happy.”

“My teenager is crazy! He drives too fast, leaves wrappers in the car and a mess in his room, and besides that, his music is too loud. If only he’d grow up…

then I’d be happy.”

“I live in an empty nest. It’s too quiet around here. I’m lonely and bored…

If only I could be happy.”

Does that sound like a litany you’ve heard before?

Always wishing we were in a better place…

a different season…

constantly complaining…

never happy with now.

The fact is, if you and I are completely and unreservedly surrendered to God, then

this now,

right here,

is our sweet spot.

Stinky diapers, crazy teenagers, less-than-ideal husband and all. And that, my dear friend, is just the way it is…

From my heart,

Diane

P.S. Check out the secret in Philippians 3:12, 13!

ETC.

Words

Hesed

No one word in the English language is capable of capturing the exact meaning of this Hebrew word, hesed. All renderings only approximate the original. Instead, translators ended up using a smorgasborg of words such as…

Kindness…

Mercy…

Loyalty…

Loving-kindness…

Loyal, steadfast, unfailing, love.

And yet this hesed is a crucial aspect of who God is and a part of His character which Satan most often lies about in order to dissuade us from the love of God. Psalm 136 is the “classic text for understanding the significance of this word.” In this passage it is used 26 times to proclaim God’s kindness.

Naomi had completely forgotten God’s hesed in the first part of our story. Instead, she felt that God was against her: afflicting her with harsh and punitive discipline (Ruth 1:13, 20, 21). Yet by chapter 3 of the book of Ruth we will see Naomi begin to thaw in her attitude towards God. She recognizes that it is the hesed of God that moves Boaz to gentle acts of generosity.

Watch for this theme of lovingkindness throughout the book of Ruth: on the part of Boaz, in Ruth toward Naomi, Naomi toward both Ruth and Orpah, and in Ruth toward Boaz.

Most of all, it is imperative that we recognize the daily hesed of God in our own lives…and that we be pouring the hesed leftovers into the lives of the people God puts in our path.

Words

Anthropomorphism

“For the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.” - Ruth 1:13 

Naomi uses a familiar Hebrew colloquialism to explain her circumstances. Later in the story she will realize that her assessment is entirely wrong, but for now she’s convinced that God is very much against her.

This term is known as an anthropomorphism: a figure of speech which attributes human physical characteristics to God. In Scripture, God is described as having arms, hands, eyes, and ears. This can also include actions and feelings, i.e. “sleeping” (Psalm 121:4).

Ruth 1v6-22

The Journey (Part Three) 

(click here to listen to the second Ruth teaching)

Verse of the Week:

“THEREFORE, SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SUCH A HUGE CROWD OF WITNESSES TO THE LIFE OF FAITH, LET US STRIP OFF EVERY WEIGHT THAT SLOWS US DOWN, ESPECIALLY THE SIN THAT SO EASILY HINDERS OUR PROGRESS. AND LET US RUN WITH ENDURANCE THE RACE THAT GOD HAS SET BEFORE US.” HEBREWS 12:1 NLT

More Words from the Father:

Colossians 3:15-24

1 Peter 3:1-9

2 Peter 1:2,3

James 5:16

Hebrews 11

From my Heart:

Today, I Choose

Ruth followed a well-worn formula to rewrite the story of her life. Simply put, she repented. To repent means to “turn around and go the other way.” And that’s just what she did when she left Moab to pursue the God of Naomi.

“…Your people shall be my people and your God, my God…”

And while we love to quote her moving lyrics during weddings, her intent was anything but romantic. Ruth decided, with all the determination of a tigress, to chase down Naomi’s God and be one of His people.

Ruth chose.

As did Peter, and Paul, and John…and Mary, and the men and women on the marquis of God’s Hall of Faith found in Hebrews 11. These are people who chose with iron-clad determination to follow God no matter the cost, regardless of their past, in simple adoration of the One.

I choose.

I choose to stop excusing my sin, and to start confessing it instead.

When I am mean and crabby and controlling, it is not really because I think no one will listen if I say it nicely.

When I am lazy and self-indulgent, it is not a sign of “normal aging.” I have simply eaten too much and exercised too little.

And when I gripe and complain, I have failed to acknowledge with a grateful heart that my King is in charge of each and every glorious day of my life.

No, this is no one else’s fault. I have allowed a virus of sin to enter my heart and take over my attitude. Much like those viruses let loose to ruin computers while they are running, my own sin is disabling my ability to be filled with the beauty and glory of the Spirit of God. And all it takes is confession and repentance…lots and lots of confession and repentance, to drive it out.

The miracle of miracles for the believing Christian is that Christ lives in me. All that He is can be mine. His kindness, His love, His patience, His goodness, His faithfulness…all that pertains to life and godliness has been “granted to us.” My identity is not in me, but in Him and who He is.

As J. Oswald Chambers wrote in My Utmost for His Highest, “Jesus Christ can put into any man who would let Him a new heredity… He can put into any man His own disposition and make him as unsullied and as simple as a child. The one marvelous secret of the holy life lies…in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh… slowly and surely I begin to live a life of ineffable order and sanity and holiness.”

Today I choose to let Him.

With truth-focused eyes I choose…

to bring the desires that so relentlessly drive me…

and the sin that so easily entangles me to the foot of the Cross.

I choose.

From my heart,

Diane

ETC

Hall of Faith

Hebrews 11

“…Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…” (vs. 1) “…By it the men of old gained approval.” (vs. 2)

Abel: Genesis 4:3, 10, Matthew 23:35, Luke 11:51

Enoch: Genesis 5:22-24

Noah: Genesis 6, 7, 8, 9

Abraham: Genesis 12-22, Romans 4:17-21

Sarah: Genesis 18:1-15, Genesis 20-23:2, 1 Peter 3

Isaac: Genesis 27:30-28:4

Jacob: Genesis 27-32

Joseph: Genesis 37-50

Moses’ parents: Exodus 2:1-1 

Moses: Exodus 2-14

Jericho: participants Joshua 6

Rahab: Joshua 2, 6:23, 25-27, James 2:25

Gideon: Judges 6-8 

Barak: Judges 4, 5

Sampson: Judges 13-16

Jephath: Judges 11, 12

David: 1, 2 Samuel - 1 Kings 2:11

Samuel: 1 Samuel 1-3

The Prophets: Isaiah-Malachi

Words

Shub

The word shub is repeated 11 times in Ruth chapter two. Ten times the translators rendered the word as return in English. Once, they used the phrase gone back (vs. 15), and another time brought me back (vs. 21). In each case, the Hebrew word is the same. The connotations of this word are weighty when we consider the redemptive theme of the book of Ruth.

Shub means to turn, to go back, to change, to reestablish, to restore. It is used over 1050 times in the Old Testament. According to one well-respected language resource, it is used overwhelmingly in the sense of repentence. It involves “man’s going beyond contrition and sorrow to a conscience decision of turning to God…and includes repudiation of all sin and affirmation of God’s total will for one’s life.”

So you see, when Ruth refused to return to her old way of life, she was in effect echoing the old and well-loved hymn,

“The world behind me, the Cross before me,

The world behind me, the Cross before me,

The world behind me, the Cross before me,

No turning back, no turning back.”

Ruth made her confession of repentence when she proclaimed to Naomi her determination to follow and know her God. She didn’t know much about Him, and she certainly didn’t have the lingo down pat, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that her old life was done and a new life was dawning.

Ruth 1v6-22

The Journey (Part Two)

Verse of the Week:

“DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT GRUMBLING AND FAULTFINDING AND COMPLAINING (AGAINST GOD) AND QUESTIONING AND DOUBTING (AMONG YOURSELVES).” PHILIPPIANS 2:14 AMP

More words from the Father:

Colossians 3:8-14

Psalm 139

Luke 10:41,42

From my Heart:

What About Me? 

On pondering Ruth’s boldness, her verve, her enthusiastic embracing of hardship, I find myself asking, “What about me?”

Have I arrived at this place, in this role, because God led me here? Or did I take a few too many wrong turns along the way and then settle in just to survive? Am I here…doing what I’m doing…being who I am…because I’ve so entrusted my life to the Father that I have followed every hint, every word He has spoken and landed finally in my sweet spot? Am I in that place intended for me to serve Him?

Or not?

Did I, instead, take the reins in my own hands to drive me and everyone else around me down the road I chose…the path I preferred? What if, deep down inside, I don’t want to be this person I’ve become along the way? What if I don’t want to do the things that define me?

What if…

I don’t want to play the role of policewoman/Nazi-commander in my home anymore? Will the world collapse around me if I turn nice? Will clothes mold in wadded up piles? Will the health department have to step in and close down the kitchen if I’m not there to catch every crumb? Will my husband bankrupt us? Will he go off and buy a Maserati the minute I let up?

What would happen if I let go of control?

Should I warn them first?

“By the way, I’ve decided to play the nice guy from now on. No more scolding, sulking, silently disapproving. I’ve decided to be like Ruth and Sarah. Oh…and Mary. Definitely like her.”

“From now on I’ll ask nicely, or not at all. Because I love you, with all your faults and flaws, you don’t have to fit yourself to me any more because I find you fascinating and fun, intriguing, and delightful.”

What would happen after I scraped them off the floor?

And what if…

I don’t want to be bound by my birthdays anymore? Are the freshman 15 and baby-fat and middle-age spread inevitable? Or could I push my slothful self out the door, slip into my running shoes and change all that? And if my body is indeed the temple of the Spirit of God, aren’t I somewhat obligated to try?

What if…

I quit complaining? Would I be okay if nobody knew I had a headache? I once tried not to complain for a whole week. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t even make it through one whole day! My conversation is laced with common complaints.

“My, its hot…

cold…

dreary…

muggy…

busy…

crowded…

crazy…

boring today.”

What if I stopped all that?

What if I never said a bad thing about anybody ever again? Would I have anything to talk about?

The real question is, “Can I change?” Can I overcome my past patterns to become who I want to be…who I believe God made me to be? Can I overthrow my history, much like Ruth did, to reinvent myself? Can I really change by choosing?

One glance through Scripture convinces me I can. The change in Peter between who he was at the end of the gospel of Luke and who he emerged to be in the beginning of the story of Acts is nothing short of astounding! He went from whining wimp to warrior preacher in how many days?

What about Paul? Talk about an about-face!

And John? Jesus nicknamed him and his brother, James, the “sons of thunder,” clearly referring to their raging tempers. A look at his trilogy of letters in first, second, and third John reveals an entirely different temperament. There he’s known as the “Apostle of Love.”

If they can change, can’t I?

I can almost hear Jesus break in to interrupt my raging thoughts… “Martha, Martha…hush now…settle down…you are worried and bothered about so many things.” “Mary,” He gently reminds me, “has chosen the good part.”

Choosing the good part…again,

From my heart,

Diane

Wisdom from the Scriptures

Naomi

Naomi’s life started out well. Pleasant, as the meaning of her name suggests. She grew up in the town of Bethlehem, situated in the bread basket of Israel. Her childhood would have evolved around agriculture: plowing, planting, gathering, preparing, and the celebrations which accompanied ample harvests.

She married well. Elimelech was of the elite tribe of Ephrathites, thought to be the founding fathers of Judah. Their family originated with Caleb, Joshua’s consort in their spying days.¹

But then her life took a downturn. Due to an apparent famine, Naomi’s husband chose to defy the dictates of the Mosaic Covenant² and migrate to the land of Moab. There, she lost her entire family to premature death; first Elimelech, and soon thereafter, her two adult sons, Mahlon and Chilion. She found herself abandoned and alone in a foreign land, estranged from the God of her childhood, far away from all that was familiar and safe.

Called a “female Job” by many commentators,³ Naomi becomes a spokesperson for every woman who suffers. In the narrative you get a clear look at Naomi’s hurting heart. She is exposed, bearing her pain for all to see. Naomi feels that God is against her (Ruth 1:13, 21), that He has afflicted her (1:21), and brought misfortune upon her (1:21). She feels empty (1:21) and bitter (1:20).

And yet, little does she know, God is lovingly dictating even the most excruciating of circumstances. By the middle of the story, Naomi is dishing out wise advice to her daughter-in-law. She exhibits a keen understanding of her culture and even an underlying sense of God’s purpose for His people. And she gets her happily-ever-after ending. Holding her grandson, Obed, in her arms, Naomi’s life once again takes on meaning and purpose. Her friends bless her and help her to recognize that God is restoring her life and giving her hope for her future.

In this raw and wrenching depiction of pain, the God of Scripture gives us permission to go ahead and ask those questions that defy easy answers, to rail against the circumstances that upend everything we hoped for.

Naomi’s story is a story of a God who listens…and cares.

The Journey

Ruth 1:6-22

 (Click here to listen to the second teaching in the Ruth study.)

Scene II of our drama brings the spotlight onto the three widows: Naomi, determined to travel back to her land of Israel alone; Ruth, equally determined to find and follow Naomi’s God; and Orpah, uncertain which path to take.

An argument ensues. Naomi, painting the bleakest possible picture of the life that lies ahead, manages to convince Orpah to turn back to the relative safety and security of her old life. Ruth, on the other hand, resolves to forsake all and follow the way of her mother-in-law.

In a beautiful soliloquy which we often hear reiterated at weddings, Ruth declares her intention to go with Naomi, adopting Naomi’s people, land, and God as her own.

Orpah kisses. Ruth clings. 

Orpah turns back. Ruth forges forward.

The path Ruth takes with Naomi is dangerous and filled with hardship. Much like our own determination to follow Jesus, these women must set their eyes on the hope ahead of them in order to endure. They must face each obstacle head on, courageously depending on God to show them the way and give them the strength to move forward.

Our own journey takes a similar road. The prophet Isaiah called it the Highway of Holiness. It is a road where the Redeemed walk safe, though surrounded by “wilderness and desert,” a road leading to a place where, at long last, “sorrow and sighing flee away.”

Come along with these two women who are so much like us. Delve into their story, identify with their fears and failures. Rise up with their hopes and triumphs. These women are here to show us the way to the One who captures our hearts and holds us safe in His love forever.

#1:

“WE ALSO PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE STRENGTHENED WITH HIS GLORIOUS POWERSO THAT YOU WILL HAVE ALL THE PATIENCE AND ENDURANCE YOU NEED…” COLOSSIANS 1:12 FRAGMENT NLT 

#2:

Colossians 1:9-12

Colossians 2:1-7

Psalm 143 

#3:

The Beauty of Kindness

How must Ruth have felt that day as she trudged towards Naomi’s land? She was a despised Moabitess, attempting to slip unobtrusively into the tiny town of Bethlehem. She couldn’t remain unnoticed for long. Everything about her was different: the way she dressed, the way she wore her hair, even the halting way she spoke as she struggled to wrap her tongue around those strange Hebrew vowels. But it was her history that was her undoing.

Ruth the Moabitess.

Her title defined her.

Worlds of prejudice were wrapped up in that word.

All that was evil and immoral,

Dangerous and undignified,

She was a bad woman.

Sometimes I feel summarized in much the same way.

Stuck in a role that everyone expects of me.

A role that chafes and irritates.

A role that confines and defines me.

A role that doesn’t fit very well,

like a too-short t-shirt - so uncomfortable!

And yet, passively, I plod on, doing what I’ve always done, being who I’ve always been, caught in a catch-22 of my own making. What else is a woman to do?

What did Ruth do?

This woman defied the discouraging expectations of others. She didn’t set out to prove them wrong. No speeches about giving her a chance. No long soliloquies explaining herself to her skeptics. She simply served. Quietly, Ruth rebuilt her reputation by serving the one woman who really needed her: Naomi. She broke the bonds of people’s expectations by gathering grain, showing kindness, sharing a meal, and taking initiative.

Doing what she could.

Doing what she should.

She didn’t sit around hoping someone would do the right thing. There was nothing passive about Ruth. That girl just got out there and went to work. I love it!

I love how the Bible, upon a closer look, blows our picture of piety. Ruth is applauded for aggressively going after the lowest job of all - gleaning. Instead of letting this desperate act ruin her life forever, she builds her future on the beauty of her kindness. She entices the man of her dreams not by sexual seduction, but by the sweet allure of servanthood. Rather than allow her history to limit her, she uses it to propel her to greatness.

Now that’s a picture of bold, biblical womanhood!

From my heart,

Diane

ETC:

The Moabites

The Moabites were the archenemies of Israel. Not opponents to be feared or revered, nor foes to challenge the mightiest of their warriors. The Israelites despised these enemies on their border for their weak and deceitful ways. Their lineage didn’t help, descended from the incestuous relationship between Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his oldest daughter. The Moabites were named after the son of that drunken seduction (see that story in Genesis 19:30-38). And their women were the worst.

Their story goes back a ways…

More than 150 years earlier, during the long and arduous trek through the wilderness, Moses had sent a diplomatic envoy to request permission to cross through the land of Edom on what was known as “The King’s Highway.” Even with assurances that the Israelites would not trample their farmland or use up their water, the king refused, sending an imposing force to intimidate the travelers (Numbers 20:14-21). Apparently, Moab was a part of this alliance against the Israelites (Judges 11:17) beginning a blood feud which would last for at least ten generations (Deuteronomy 23:3-6).

The biblical portrayal of the character of the Moabites was less than admirable. Proud and arrogant (Isaiah 16:6), idolatrous (1 Kings 11:7), superstitious (Jeremiah 27:3, 9), rich and confident (Jeremiah 48:7), men of war (Jeremiah 48:14), hostile to Israel (Psalm 83:6)-not exactly the kind of people you want living next door.

Tensions between the nations worsened when Balak, king of Moab, called for the prophet Balaam to come and curse Israel. And while Balaam certainly tried, he was unable to effectively cast a curse on this nation who was under the protection and guidance of the Almighty. Yet what havoc the errant prophet was powerless to create through divination, the women of Moab succeeded in wrecking through seduction. The story, found in Numbers 25, began with just “some” men accepting the invitations of the Moabite women to join them in the sexually erotic worship of their gods, but the destruction spread to involve the deaths of 24,000 people in Israel. While Balaam attempted unsuccessfully to turn the Lord against His people, he was sadly successful at turning God’s people away from their Lord. The tragedy struck a stunning blow to the fledgling nation. How a small group of Moabite and Midianite women could seduce thousands of Israelite men away from their declared intention to be faithful followers of Yahweh became the ultimate horror and humiliation for every family in Israel.

Much like pornography today, these people “devoted themselves to shame and they became as detestable as that which they loved” (Hosea 9:10 NLT). Their idolatrous sexual sins are held up once again in the letter to the church in Pergamum, as dangerous deviations from God’s plan to bless their lives (Revelation 2:14-16).

No wonder the Israelites in Naomi’s day looked somewhat suspiciously at her daughter-in-law Ruth. The thought of a young Moabite widow in their small town must have sent tremors through their tight-knit community. Was she a seductress like her ancestors? A blatant heathen who would bring her erotic gods to entice their men? These women would have been understandably reluctant to welcome Ruth into their midst. She would have to prove herself first, and to be very careful to watch her back while she did so.

#1: “…HOW BLESSED ARE ALL WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!” PSALM 2:12B NASB

#2:

James 1:5

Colossians 3:1-17

Galatians 2:20

Philippians 4:8

Psalm 16

Psalm 127:2

Psalm 139:23,24

#3

PAGES FROM THE PAST:  February 1999

Dwelling There

Satisfaction and rest. The world searches frantically for both. I search for both.

If only I had…

If only I were…

If only I could…

Lasting satisfaction is not filled by people or places or things.

And rest. Where do I find that? A perfect vacation? A beach house? A lighter schedule? Less work to do?

No. Rest is found in only one place. Deep-down, daily soul rest is found only in the Shelter of the Almighty.

I know the satisfaction and the rest to be found in the Shelter. I’ve been there. It is a wonderful place to be. The problem is, I tend to just go for a visit. I pop in when the hassles of life get to me, when I feel restless and dissatisfied, when things don’t go my way.

Rest is for those who live in the Shelter of the Most High. There is a big difference between living there and taking a quick visit when the need arises. This Shelter is not a vacation home. It is a place to move into permanently - a place to get comfortable in, to hang some picture memories, to snuggle down deep.

I have known the Shelter as a hospital room. When I am hurting or grieving it is the first place I want to run to. I have known the heart-healing of that place.

I have known the Shelter as a refuge. When I am worn out and weary I seek a respite there. In that Shelter I have been refreshed and renewed.

I have known the Shelter as a library of sorts. I have gone there seeking solutions, answers for questions too big for me. I have come away with a heart full of His wisdom.

I have known His Shelter as a place of pure joy. I have worshiped there alone and have celebrated in His presence with the family of believers. I have touched His throne and been transformed again and again and again.

And yet with all these wonderful visits, I have yet to consistently dwell there. I move in and out. I don’t know why. I just sort of drift out until another crisis or an especially beautiful quiet time reminds me that this is where I want to be. I don’t want to be so foolishly fickle. I love it there in the Shelter.

I am coming to realize that the act of dwelling there, really living in the Shelter of the Most High, is a daily decision. No, it’s more like an hourly decision, a moment by moment awareness of the Father.

I can choose to live there when things are good and when they are not. I can live there when the kids are squabbling, when I am a taxi for the teenagers, at the drizzling soccer field, and at the crowded grocery store.

I can live there from the moment I wake up to the time I go to sleep and every moment in between. The Bible tells me that He will keep on giving to me even in my sleep!

But the decision to stay there is mine. The Father will not force me. I must decide if I want to seek Him with all my heart. I must put aside, at times, thoughts and words and actions that do not belong in the Shelter. Just like I make my kids leave their muddy shoes outside in the garage, so must I leave my filth at the altar before I can enter into His presence. He is not expecting perfection-He knows me too well for that. But when He whispers in my ear I must listen and obey lest I push away His Spirit and push myself out of the Shelter.

From my heart,

Diane

Etc:

Names:

Elimelech: My God is King

Naomi: My pleasantness

Mahlon: Sickness

Chilion: Consumption

Ruth: Satisfied

Orpah: Fawn-like

Boaz: Strength1

What’s In a Name?

The most popular names given to babies in 2008 include: Matthew, Ethan, Olivia, Emma, and Alexander.¹ One hundred years earlier, in 1908, the top list included names like: Henry, Albert, Harold, Mildred, and Gladys. Only two names made the top ten in both years: William and Elizabeth.

In the United States, names are linked to the era in which a child is born. But in the ancient Middle East, names invariably signified the circumstances under which the child was born. Thus, Rachel, dying in childbirth, named her youngest son Ben-Oni (“my painful son”)² which her husband quickly changed to Benjamin (“son of the right hand”). Sometimes children were named as a result of his or her parent’s hope for their future. At other times, God Himself stepped in and announced a name before the parents could come up with one of their own (See Isaac’s story in Genesis 17 and John’s story in Luke 1).

Thus, in Scripture, the meaning of someone’s name often sheds light on the significance of that person’s life. Keep that in mind as you read through the book of Ruth.

#1 “MY CHILD, NEVER FORGET THE THINGS I HAVE TAUGHT YOU. STORE MY COMMANDS IN YOUR HEART, FOR THEY WILL GIVE YOU A LONG AND SATISFYING LIFE.” PROVERBS 3:1-2 NLT

#2

Proverbs 3:5-8

Jeremiah 2:12-13

Psalm 36:5-9

Psalms 63

Matthew 5:1-6

Hosea 6:1-3

1 Peter 1:1-9

#3

The Way of the Kingdom: 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your body,

and refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 3:5-8

Every year for seven years, those filthy, camel-riding, shiftless raiders robbed the Israelites of a year’s worth of toil. And the men and women whose backs were breaking from the hard work could do nothing but shake their fists in red-faced anger.

The frustrated Israelites tried everything to thwart their enemies’ modus operandi. They burrowed deeply into the mountain caves in the region to hide their harvests; they threshed their wheat at the bottom of winepresses, yet nothing worked. The Midianites’ sheer numbers overwhelmed the tiny nation.

Perhaps it was during this time that Elimelech set out for Moab. And can you blame him?

Though he should have stayed in the Promised Land, though he knew full well that God had warned his forefathers in the clearest of terms to remain in the land no matter what, and though he had to have been warned by family and friends, still he went.

What would you have done?

When completely overtaken by financial woes, when there is just no way to pay the bills, let alone to pay off debts and get ahead, wouldn’t you bail?

What about when a relationship turns sour? Who hasn’t taken a swipe at someone who hurt us, knowing all the while that Jesus so clearly stated the Kingdom Way when He admonished us to “turn the other cheek”?

Aren’t we all tempted to try to dig our way out of times of fearsome famines?

And yet Elimelech died there in that forbidden land.

Deliberate disobedience on the part of a child of God always brings death:

death of a relationship,

death of integrity,

death to purity or reputation or hope.

The Way of the Kingdom is rarely easy, often times frustrating, usually difficult, and always best.

And that, my dear friends, is just the way it is…

From my heart,

Diane

Etc.

Words:

Sojourned Remained Lived

The first five verses of the book of Ruth paint a painful picture of a family’s journey away from the God of their ancestors. Their Hebrew history, culture, and relationship to God were firmly rooted in the land which God had given them. Elimelech left all that behind when he decided to move to Moab.

From the very beginning of the story, God allows us to see what went wrong with Elimelech’s decision to fend for himself rather than wait on God to provide for him. A pattern emerges, a progression which serves as a warning to any and all of us who share Elimelech’s compulsion to control our lives.

First, they sojourned. The root ger means to live among people who are not relatives, to be dependent on the hospitality which played such an important role in the ancient near eastern cultures. A sojourner did not enjoy the rights usually possessed by a resident. Because they had “no blood ties to the residents, they only had legal rights as the dominant peoples permitted which were often whimsically granted and withdrawn.”

Next, Elimelech and Naomi remained in Moab. The Hebrew verb haya means to be, to become, to be done, to come to pass. Here the progression moves forward. “The family had planned only to sojourn temporarily in Moab, but they remained 10 years.”

Finally, the family of four lived there about ten years. The word can also be taken to mean to dwell, to linger, to sit. It implies permanence. Yashab is often used when describing how our faithful God lives with us. Yet here the word paints a picture of a family fully involved in the culture of the country they have chosen to make their home.

Check out another interesting progression of words found in Psalm 1. There, a man is considered blessed if he does not walk or stand or sit with the crowd. Yashab, the Hebrew word translated sit in Psalm 1:1 is the same word translated lived in Ruth 1:4.

Elimelech

“God is King”

Little is known about Elimelech, and what we do know doesn’t line up with the name given him at birth. What grand plans his parents must have had for him as they crowned him with such a glorious title of “God is King.” Did they hope he’d be the next king of Israel, a high and holy priest, or simply a successful supporter of the Temple? Whichever it was, Elimelech didn’t measure up.

Elimelech came from the ancient clan of Ephrathites, one of the aristocratic families of Bethlehem. As such, he was an important landowner in a time when land meant everything to a man: work, status, influence, and prosperity.

As a Jew, Elimelech would have known and been solemnly warned of the dangers of moving to Moab. He had family in Bethlehem: both Boaz and a “relative closer than I” stuck out the famine in the town of their inheritance. The late preacher J. Vernon McGee wrote: “Elimelech should not have gone into the land of Moab, regardless of the conditions in the land of Promise. It is never a delightful story when a member of the chosen seed leaves the Land of Promise and goes into the far country.”

None-the-less, he went, and moreover, he stayed there in that forbidden land, bringing death and destruction on himself and his two sons. Instead of living up to his name and making his God the King of his plans, Elimelech ignored the warnings in the Word as well as the warnings of his family and went his own way.

Elimelech lost his life while trying to find it.

#1 “I REACH OUT FOR YOU. I THIRST FOR YOU AS PARCHED LAND THIRSTS FOR RAIN.” PSALM 143:6 NLT

#2

John 1:1

Psalm 42:1,2

Psalm 63

John 4:1-14

John 7:37-39

Psalm 143:6

Isaiah 32:1-4

1 Timothy 6:17-19 

#3

Are You Thirsty?

The day of the race dawned warm and clear, promising the perfect weather in which to run. I’d anticipated this day for over a year, part of my tongue-in-cheek mid-life crisis for the summer I turned 50. Middle aged and notoriously unathletic, a half marathon seemed the perfect antidote to the inevitability of aging. As I packed my bag with extra socks, sunglasses, and packets of jelly beans, I kept debating the dilemma of the hour. Should I do as all the books say (and yes, the ultimate book worm learns to run by reading!) and drink plenty of fluids before the race? Or should I heed my own inner-worry: that I’d end up in line for the porta-potty while I watched the race run by? In the end, I compromised, downing a little water at the start and a lot of water at each of the stations. I passed the porta-potties right by! You need water. Lots of it. Thirst is different than hunger in that you absolutely must have water in order to survive. While someone can go weeks and weeks without food, you cannot live without water for more than about 72 to 120 hours (three to five days). One week without water and we’re dead.

Water in Scripture symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Our souls thirst for the Spirit of God to enable us to be nourished by the Word of God. You cannot survive, let alone thrive, without both the water of the Spirit and the Word of God to satisfy you. Yet how many Bible studies have you and I attended and how many sermons have we listened to without once inviting, begging, pleading with the Holy Spirit to speak to us? To give us water to drink?

The one redeeming contribution the Old Testament priest, Eli, made in spite of his myriad mistakes, was to teach young Samuel this concept: 

“…if He calls you, you shall say,

‘Speak, for Thy servant is listening’.”

I Samuel 3:9

God wants to refresh you and satisfy you through His Word. He names Himself Logos, the Word (John 1:1), to let you and I know that He is speaking. But it takes the Spirit of God within you to enable you to drink those words in and quench your desperate thirst. Bible studies and sermons will bounce right off if you are not walking in and with the Spirit, waiting expectantly for Him to speak to you. Even the discipline of daily devotions will leave you parched and dry unless done in the power of His Spirit.

And it doesn’t take a twelve-step program to remember how to drink. Little Samuel can tell you that. With Eli’s help, he learned early in his life to invite God to speak to him. Over months and years and decades, Samuel honed this skill, learning to listen with intensity and focus. By the end of his life, Samuel was one of the wisest and most trusted priests ever to represent God in all of Israel.

We all would do well to remember Samuel’s secret, and to sincerely pray Samuel’s one sentence prayer every time we intend to drink in God’s Word:

“Speak, Lord,

Your servant is listening.”

From my heart,

Diane

Etc.

Who wrote Ruth? 

The writer of the book of Ruth reaches back to tell a story from distant memory. He sets it in a time other than his own: when the Judges ruled. Now, a King reigns over Israel and many of the problems which plagued the fledgling nation have been solved and set right by strong central leadership. Back then, the author writes, when times were turbulent and events often escalated out of control, a little family of four sets off to alleviate their poverty by leaving the land God had given them and going to the dreaded nation of Moab.

The author pens the tale as dispassionately as possible, but still, his sympathy seeps out of the edges of his story. No condemnation clouds his telling; he sticks to the facts. They went, they died, and only Naomi came back. This family of four is reduced to one: one grief-stricken widow.

Who wrote this story with so much tenderness? 

Some say it must have been written by a woman.¹ Certainly the story has a feminine appeal. The conversations recorded and emotions portrayed are deeply insightful, unveiling an intimate understanding of human relationships and of feminine friendships in particular.

Others attribute this story to Samuel. Rabbinic tradition credits the beloved prophet/priest with the writing of Judges, Ruth, and First and Second Samuel.² And perhaps he did write it, though he couldn’t have completed the story since he didn’t live long enough to tack the genealogy at the end.

The bottom line is that nobody knows who wrote the book of Ruth. But someone did. Someone who didn’t want to get in the way by signing his (or her) name to the bottom of the page. Someone who loved the story. Someone who’d heard it told over and over again, told and retold with care and precision and passion. For this is a story not just about Ruth, or Naomi, or Boaz, but about a God who reaches through misery and heartache and hopelessness to reveal Himself to hurting people.

This is the story of a rescue.

#1 “BUT I WOULD FEED YOU WITH THE FINEST OF THE WHEAT; AND WITH HONEY FROM THE ROCK I WOULD SATISFY YOU.” PSALM 81:16 NASB

#2

Proverbs 2:1-11

Psalm 22:25-31

Psalm 19

Matthew 6:19-34

Psalm 81:16 

#3

More Than One Way

It was Mark Twain who wrote, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” And though cat skinning is not on my agenda for today (or any day for that matter), I do believe I understand what he meant.

When obstacles loom large and trying harder doesn’t work, get creative.

Are you finding it impossible to carve out an hour of Bible study with an infant in your arms and a toddler at your feet? You can use these years instead to memorize Scripture, to store up great treasures of wisdom for the years ahead.

It doesn’t take much: a 3x5 card propped on the windowsill by the sink, or clipped to the side of the mirror where you do your make-up, or sitting beside the chair where you rock your babies. You’ll be surprised by how natural it becomes to slip Scripture into your memory as you carry out the mindless tasks that so fill a hurried mother’s day.

And you’ll be even more surprised by how much you’ll rely on those snippets of Scripture when that baby is twelve and the toddler sixteen.

No one told me (or maybe they did and I wasn’t listening) how much I would need specific wisdom when my kids got older. My tidy world of black and white turned impossibly blurry when faced with the myriad judgment calls a mother of teenagers must make.

Should she or shouldn’t she? When is make-up appropriate? What about dances? Dating? Should she climb in the car with that guy? Am I being too strict? Too suspicious? Too naïve? Is it time to let go, or do I need to hold the line a little longer?

You’ll need great gobs of wisdom and discernment and understanding and insight, all of those delectable treasures promised to those who take the time to tuck Scripture into the recesses of their minds.

It’s harder than you think; it’s harder than I thought, and wisdom is just what you’ll need.

From my heart, 

Diane

Etc.

Famine in the Land

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities: His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood by what has been made…” Romans 1:20 (NIV)

The Old Testment is brimming with shadows of Kingdom truths illustrated by the natural world. The skies declare God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), water portrays His Spirit (Isaiah 44:3), the rocks affirm God’s strength (Psalm 18:1, 2), and the mountains proclaim His might (Psalm 65:6). Grass shows the transcendence of life (Psalm 90:5), storms symbolize life’s difficult times (Job 30:22), and the sunrise calls forth songs of joy (Psalm 65:8).

But some Kingdom truths are harder to swallow than others. Just as periods of peace remind us of God’s goodness, periods of famine throughout the Bible give us a taste of true hunger: hunger that results from a people, or a nation, or an individual’s turning away from God.

God gives a warning to His chosen people about the dire consequences of disobedience in Deuteronomy 28, one of the worst of which is famine: “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies…in hunger, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things…” (vs. 47, 48).

Though Israel’s famine may have been directly linked to drought, or crop failure, or the devastation of the land by their enemies, her lack was always a result of not trusting and following God in obedience.

In the same way, we are warned in Leviticus 26:14-15, “Disobedience causes your soul to suffer.” Even with our plethora of grocery stores, restaurants, and fast food, famine of the soul runs rampant. Just look. Some of the “famine shadows” in the Old Testament include:

Disease (Jeremiah 14:18).

Destroying one’s children (Deuteronomy 28:47-57).

Captivity or bondage (Jeremiah 15:2).

Exile or alienation (Ezekiel 5:12).

Nakedness, shame (Deuteronomy 28:47).

Earthquakes, upheaval (Matthew 24:7).

An inability to hear the words of the Lord (Amos 8:11).¹

Historically, God used famine to bring His people back to Himself. Abraham experienced famine (Genesis 12:10), as did Jacob (Genesis 26:1), and Joseph (Genesis 41-50). And through it all, God drew these men into a relationship with Himself by building up their faith through His provision and His sovereignty in their lives.

“I am the Bread of Life,

he who comes to Me will never be hungry

and he who believes on

and cleaves to

and trusts in

and relies on Me

will never thirst

any moreat

any time.”

John 6:35

(Amplified Bible)

Once Upon a Time: Ruth 1:1-5

Like a riveting drama, the book of Ruth opens upon a scene of conflict and confusion. A family journeys away from their home and identity in search of an illusion of security. Troubled times in the land of their birth, prompt them to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Away from their extended family and far from their God, they sojourn, then they enter, and they remain with a people who worship the violent, irrational god called Chemosh.

Chaos ensues.

First, the father dies, leaving Naomi with her two sons to fend for herself. The sons marry and sink their roots deeper into the culture of Moab, a country whose practices are anathema to everything they were raised to believe. After a decade of adapting to their adopted land, both sons suddenly die, leaving three widows in their wake.

The scene is set in just a few short sentences. No grand display of emotion, no weeping and wailing, not even a haunting dirge playing in the background. Just the facts. But those facts are staggering, their implications posing impossible odds for Naomi. She scrambles to undo the irreversible harm done ten years previously, when, against all wisdom, her husband led their family away from their land, Israel, and away from their God, Yahweh.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll be delving deeper into the drama of our own lives. How do you handle adversity? What do you do when your heart aches for satisfaction? When emotional or relational famine leaves you high and dry?

The answer, of course, is to plant your heart firmly beside what Psalm 1 describes as “streams of water” the Word of God. There, we thrive and flourish no matter what the circumstances of our story dictate.

#1:

“… CRAVE PURE SPIRITUAL MILK SO THAT BY IT YOU MAY GROW UP IN YOUR SALVATION.”

I PETER 2:2B NIV

 #2:

Ruth 1:1-5

Matthew 4:23-5:6

1 Peter 1:25-2:3

Hebrews 5:14-6:12

Isaiah 55

 #3:

Are You Hungry?

Have you ever been on a diet? How about those liquid-only ones? The instructions sound so convincing: “Just drink these lovely drinks which will fill you up, imparting loads of energy without the dreaded calories of real food. You’ll be svelte and slim in no time.”

Give me a break!

Not that I haven’t tried it, mind you. It’s just that I haven’t succeeded. I do okay for a day. In fact, I feel rather proud of myself, energized and motivated to finally “do it this time.” But by day two I start fixating on food. The slightest whiff of toast in the morning makes me crave a luscious, crispy, jam-laden hunk of life-giving bread. You get the picture.

No, starvation diets don’t work because the hungrier you are, the more you start to earnestly long for food to fill your empty belly.

Hunger is real. And if left unattended, it can weaken you. Elimelech looked on in anguish as his family suffered the agonizing effects of genuine hunger. Naomi lost weight, not because she wanted to fit into tight jeans, but because she hadn’t enough to eat. His boys failed to thrive, whining for more when their bowls were empty. As he watched their cupboards empty and faced the prospect of weeks and months of subsistence living, Elimelech came to the conclusion that he must act now to satisfy his desperate need for food. He must solve the hunger problem.

Elimelech is not the only one. You and I try to solve our own hunger problem whether we know it or not. In fact, some of us get to the very end of our lives before we realize that the messes we have caused along the way were actually the consequences of an undernourished life.

Let me explain.

Way back in Deuteronomy, when God is laying out His instructions for His people in order that “it might be well with them and their sons forever” (Deuteronomy 5:29), He makes a curious claim about hunger:

“…He humbled you and let you be hungry,

and fed you with manna

which you did not know,

that He might make you understand that

man does not live by bread alone,

but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.”

(Deuteronomy 8:3)

Or, as the New Living Translation so poetically puts it:

“…He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life;

real life comes by feeding on every word of the LORD.”

God caused their hunger. He didn’t just allow it. It didn’t slip by Him without notice. He let them feel the full force of the pain of their own hunger for a purpose: in order to teach His chosen, beloved people that “real life comes by feeding on every word of the LORD”.

So I ask you - “Are you hungry?” Have you experienced real, starvation-induced heart hunger? And, have you yet discovered the satisfaction that comes from truly feasting on His every word?

Just as your body can become gaunt from not enough good food, so your soul will show symptoms when you are languishing. And just as I’ve experienced all sorts of self-induced hunger on an ever-elusive quest for leanness, I know all too well those signs of soul hunger. Do you have any of these symptoms?

In the area of relationships…

• Are you a control freak? Do you wonder why others are getting in the way of what you want, why they don’t do what you want, or why they don’t understand what you want?
• Are you growing contentious? Aggravated when “nobody can’t do nothin’ right!”
• Is conflict making you feel that “everybody-is-against-me-nobody-loves-me-woe-is-me!”
• Is competitiveness driving you to need to be better than everyone else?

In your hidden heart…

Are you disappointed that life and dreams and relationships haven’t brought the happiness you were so sure they would when you started out?

Are you depressed that there is no hope for improvement, no new dreams to inspire, nothing to get you up in the morning?

Are you sensing despair? (And don’t think for a minute that Christians never experience this!) King David asked himself this very question, “Why are you in despair, O my soul?”

And have you, like Elimelech tried to find solutions for your starvation symptoms? Have you tried to alleviate those hunger pangs by bingeing on what the Bible metaphorically calls the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life?”

Have you found yourself buying a new outfit to make you feel better about yourself, clawing your way up the corporate ladder to prove yourself, striving to create the perfect home in order to paint a perfect picture of yourself? Maybe even flirting with men to bring attention to yourself?

And how far has it led?

How much debt has it caused you? How much alienation and exhaustion? What about shame?

All of these, and more, are simply signs that you are hungry. You are not getting enough food. Or you’re pigging out on the wrong kinds of food. You’ve been dieting too long, buying into the notion that “Devotions in One Minute a Day” will satisfy your soul. And it doesn’t. Just as food-less dieting doesn’t work, Word-less living leaves you and me weak and vulnerable.

So, this week, I prescribe real food. Go and gather that Manna, that Bread of Life which can be “ground and beat and boiled and made into cakes” (look it up in Numbers 11). Get up a little earlier, get your “cooking utensils” out the night before, and be ready for a feast…and an end to hunger.

From my heart,

Diane

ETC.

The Famine

The story of Ruth happened during a time of severe and significant famine. We’re not talking an economic downturn here. It was a national meltdown. Think widespread poverty and complete panic. The Great Depression of BC 1200.

It is widely believed that this story transpired sometime before Gideon became judge over Israel, (though no one knows for certain). In Gideon’s time, a famine occurred which was more a political than an agricultural disaster. Crop conditions were excellent, the fields filled with the rich produce of the region. Everyone anticipated a good year. But just as harvest day dawned, a swarming army of nomadic raiders (the Bedouins from the desert region of Midian) invaded Israel, stealing the crops, the sheep, the oxen, and even their donkeys. A full years’ work devastated in one fell swoop.

These Bedouin nomads did not want to destroy the Israelites, nor did they attempt to take over their land. The camel-riding Midianites simply swooped in like locusts and emptied their cupboards, leaving the land and the people poor and destitute, with just enough supplies to survive to plant next year’s crop. And all of this went on for seven years!

No wonder Gideon, Elimelech, and quite possibly every man, woman, and child in Israel were desperately looking for relief.

Every Saturday for the next few months we will be posting a devotional study I wrote on the Biblical story of Ruth. While studying this beautiful and timeless story, I couldn’t help but hear God’s words to me, His wisdom for my own story.  Early every morning as I gathered my study books, poured my tea, and cozied up in my big chair by the window, God spoke wisdom and hope and sometimes warnings.

I was alone in His presence, alone with Him.

And maybe that’s how you’ll delve into this story— being a full-on introvert, I understand.

But it is my hope that some of you will gather a few of your friends and go through this study together. There is just something about being on the same page with people who know us that compels us to dig a little deeper, to allow the Spirit to weave His beauty into the fabric of our everyday lives.

By being open and vulnerable we allow other women to speak gentle wisdom into our souls.

I have not included a list of fill-in-the-blank questions for you to answer. Instead, I would urge you to come to each study with just one question:

Lord, what are you saying to me?

Because that is the question that compels me to get up early every morning and delve into the Scriptures, searching for His words for me.

Because, you see, I believe with all my heart that…

He speaks in the silence.

From my heart,

Diane

PS: Will you let me know what you’re doing with this study? There is this fearful vulnerability about opening up my own early morning listening to women who might not hear what I heard. I’d love to know what the Father is speaking to you.

How To Use This Study

1. Listen to the teaching. Click here to listen.
2. Look up the Scriptures for Day One, chew on these verses, feast on His Word
3. Read the short devotional
4. For more background information, go to the next page and read the ETC

Note- Each of the 7 audio teachings are followed by 5 daily devotionals.