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The Book of Ruth

God sent me another reminder today — do unto others…

The Bible opened to the Book of Ruth.  If you have not read it, it is worth the read.  It’s a relatively short chapter and tells the story of Ruth, who stands by her mother-in-law, Naomi, when Ruth’s husband (Naomi’s son) dies.  Naomi begs Ruth to abandon her, and essentially save herself, telling her that she is too old, but Ruth can go on and find a new husband. Ruth refuses.

But Ruth said, “Do not press me to go back and abandon you!  Wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge.  Your people shall be my people and your God, my God.  Where you die I will die, and there be buried. May the LORD do thus to me, and more, if even death separates me from you!”

Ruth 1:16-17

Ruth does unto others as she would have them do unto her.  She puts Naomi’s needs above her own.  And she finds the way to happiness for both her and Naomi.  Without abandoning Naomi, she finds a new husband and gives birth to a child, who will become the grandfather to David.  And along the way she helps Naomi, who initially appeared to have given up.  After her husband and then her sons died, Naomi felt that God was against her.  But by the end, thanks to Ruth’s faithfulness, Naomi is being reminded of how great God is:

Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD who has not failed to provide you today with a redeemer. May he become famous in Israel!  He will restore your life and be the support of your old age, for his mother is the daughter-in-law who loves you. She is worth more to you than seven sons!”  Naomi took the boy, cradled him against her breast, and cared for him.   The neighbor women joined the celebration: “A son has been born to Naomi!”   They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Ruth 4:14-17

The Book of Ruth told me two things:  Do good for others and good will come to you.  And don’t doubt God’s plan.  It was certainly a hard journey for both Ruth and Naomi, but how important the journey was.

Dear God,

Your plans are great and sometimes mystical to me.  Sometimes, I just don’t understand.  Help me to never give up.  Help me to trust in you.  Help me to put the needs of others ahead of my own, even when doing so seems to be against my interests.  Help me to realize that your interests are my interests.

Amen

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Daily reminder

Today the Bible opened to a verse of which I could use a daily reminder.

“But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.   And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.  If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit [is] that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.  But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.  Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:27-36

Sometimes it is hard to do good to those who are good to me, let alone those who are not.  It is easy to get wrapped up in myself and my own needs.

Help me Lord to be more giving.  Help me be good to those who are not good to me.  Help me to remember to pray for those around me — in particular those who have hurt me (and pray more than just “Lord help them not to hurt me anymore.”)  Help me to do good and not expect anything in return.  Help me to show love and mercy, even when I am hurting. And God, please remind me of these words every day.

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Rejoice!

I want to rejoice in the Lord!  That is what I woke up thinking.  And I thought to myself, I hope the Bible opens to a joyful section.  It opened to the book of Micah, and not knowing much about Micah, my first thought was a groan.  But once I started reading Micah, I could not put it down!  (Micah is not a long book, so again don’t be overly impressed.)  It is chock full of goodness, particularly if you skip over the first section, “Oracles of Punishment,” and dive right into “Oracles of Salvation.”  Allow me to share my favorite passages:

On that day—oracle of the LORD—I will gather the lame, And I will assemble the outcasts, and those whom I have afflicted.  I will make of the lame a remnant, and of the weak a strong nation; The LORD shall be king over them on Mount Zion, from now on and forever.

Micah 4:6-7

I love the idea of forever!  And love that our physical limitations will be meaningless!

But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah least among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, Then the rest of his kindred shall return to the children of Israel.  He shall take his place as shepherd by the strength of the LORD, by the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall dwell securely, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth: he shall be peace.

Micah 5:1-4

How can I not rejoice about the foretelling of Jesus’ birth!  The last line sends warm love through me, each time I read over it: “he shall be peace.”

With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow before God most high?  Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil?  Shall I give my firstborn for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6-8

What God asks of us, is really quite simple: do justice, love goodness, walk humbly with God.  I am struck by the juxtaposition of this with the question right before it: “shall I give my firstborn for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”  As a mother, I cannot even imagine the thought of doing this.  But of course, God does not require anything like this from us.  His request of us, really is quite simple, and quite painless, and indeed will make us happy.  But still we struggle with it. So God takes on the ultimate sacrifice for us, He gives His son as a sacrifice for our sins.

And then Micah shouts out in confidence in the Lord:

But as for me, I will look to the LORD, I will wait for God my savior; my God will hear me! Do not rejoice over me, my enemy! though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD is my light. I will endure the wrath of the LORD because I have sinned against him, Until he pleads my case, and establishes my right. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see his righteousness.

Micah 7:7-9

I echo these words.  I look to the Lord!  I wait for God my savior!  Though I have fallen, I will rise!  Though I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light!  Despite my sin, the Lord will bring me forth to light and I will see His righteousness!

Who is a God like you, who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but instead delights in mercy, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our iniquities?  You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.

Micah 7:18-19

Praise God!

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God’s grace

Today was a good day — but then what Friday is not a good day!  I was able to get some work done,  celebrated a friend’s 50th birthday, and participated in a moving, live stations of the cross.  I feel accomplished and satisfied.    The Bible opened tonight to Ephesians:

You were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you once lived following the age of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the disobedient.  All of us once lived among them in the desires of our flesh, following the wishes of the flesh and the impulses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest.  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.  For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.

Ephesians 2: 1-10

I am reminded of God’s grace, that allows me to do all things.  I am God’s handiwork.  And you are God’s handiwork.  We are both perfectly made.  We are made for good works.  Everything around us is God’s creation, who am I to boast?  Except to boast in the Lord, who truly is almighty and amazing.  Would that I could show one ounce of the love he pours out on us.  Showering us with it every second.  The greatest works on earth, the greatest accomplishments, the greatest day — are but a fleck of dust compared to all that God can do.  And yet, I believe He delights in what we do.  Smiles with us at our happiness, and beams when we do good.  (And I think He laughs at us —  just a bit — when we forget where we come from.)

I am also reminded of one of the powerful truths.  I can not earn my way into heaven — I do not have the power or authority to achieve a spot.  It is only by God’s grace that we are saved.  Thankfully he freely gives us this gift!  As much as I would love to win this with something I have done,  to feel the power (I guess) of accomplishing this, I am grateful for the gift — because I know despite my desire, that I am not worthy or strong enough to earn it on my own.  It is comforting knowing that I don’t have to do it all on my own.  Instead all I have to do is have faith that God will provide me with the grace I need, sufficient grace.

Thank you God for providing us with your grace.  All that I am, I owe to you.  I desperately want to be the being that you want me to be.  Provide me with the strength and grace to know the path. May all of my boasts be in you.  All of my pride be in you and in being your child.  Guide me please (and give me the grace to follow).

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I am weary

God knows when we need renewal.  It seems like everyone around me is tired and weary.  My friends and family are weak and in pain.  Today I opened the Bible and found strength for our weakness:

Lift up your eyes on high and see who created these: He leads out their army and numbers them, calling them all by name. By his great might and the strength of his power not one of them is missing!

Why, O Jacob, do you say, and declare, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is God from of old, creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives power to the faint, abundant strength to the weak.

Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.

Isaiah 40:26-31

Life can certainly make us weary.  Even in our youth, we grow weary.  Weary from making mistakes.  Weary from choosing not to follow God.  Weary from the sins of the world around us.  We stagger and fall along the way.  Sometimes it seems we may never get up.  But God does not grow weary.  And God does not give up on us, even when we give up on ourselves and give up on God.  From the beginning of time, God has provided strength.  “They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”  It seems like the end of the week is when I am at my weariest. But I hope in the Lord!

Renew my strength, O God!  And renew the strength of those around me!  I want to run (to you, O God) and not grow weary!  Help me to soar on eagles’ wings.

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A Whale of a Story

I have heard many times the story of Jonah and the whale, or at least I thought I had.  I knew that he was swallowed by a whale and God helped him escape after 3 days and 3 nights.  But apparently I missed much of the story.  Today the Bible opened to the book of Jonah.  And I read the book of Jonah — it is only 2 pages, so don’t be too impressed.  What I did not know, or never paid attention to before, was how Jonah got into the water (and eventually into the whale’s stomach).  Apparently Jonah was traveling in a boat with others when a great storm arose:

Now the men were seized with great fear and said to him, “How could you do such a thing!”—They knew that he was fleeing from the LORD, because he had told them.  They asked, “What shall we do with you, that the sea may calm down for us?” For the sea was growing more and more stormy.  Jonah responded, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea and then the sea will calm down for you. For I know that this great storm has come upon you because of me.”

Still the men rowed hard to return to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy.  Then they cried to the LORD: “Please, O LORD, do not let us perish for taking this man’s life; do not charge us with shedding innocent blood, for you, LORD, have accomplished what you desired.”  Then they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging.  Seized with great fear of the LORD, the men offered sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

Jonah 1:10-16

Jonah was running from the Lord.  He was physically turning away from God.  And what did God do? He didn’t kill him, although the other sailors thought that was what God wanted, He didn’t harm Jonah at all.  He called him back — He sent Jonah a wake up call.   Jonah answered the wake up call:

From the womb of Sheol I cried for help, and you heard my voice.  You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the sea, and the flood enveloped me; All your breakers and your billows passed over me.  Then I said, “I am banished from your sight!  How will I again look upon your holy temple?” The waters surged around me up to my neck; the deep enveloped me; seaweed wrapped around my head.  I went down to the roots of the mountains; to the land whose bars closed behind me forever, But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD, my God.

Jonah 2:3-7

Jonah went down to the depths, and God brought him back.  He returned him to dry land.  He returned him to safety.  Jonah ran from God, told God no, and God called him back and brought him to safety.  It’s a whale of a story.  It’s our story.  Maybe we don’t physically run from God, but we sometimes (maybe more times than we like to admit) turn our backs on God, we choose to make our own plans rather than follow God’s plan.  God still calls us back.  He is waiting to return us to dry land no matter how far down we go.

Thank you God!

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Humbled

So yesterday God directed me to the book of Job, where God allowed satan to test Job.  And I struggled with the idea that God allows satan to test us.  Today, the Bible opened to Philippians.  Paul always helps put things into better perspective for me.

Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.

Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2: 5-11

So, yesterday I was upset that God allows us to be tested. Today, I am humbled as I remember that Jesus humbled Himself to take on human likeness, human suffering and was Himself tested.  Who am I to think I deserve better?

Lord,

Help me to learn to be selfless instead of selfish.  Help me to humbly regard others as more important than myself.  Help me to take on the same attitude as Jesus.  Allow me the strength to put my own interests, fears and concerns aside and to trust in your plan.

Through your son Jesus Christ you have shown me the Way.  I want to know more! All glory and praise to you!  You amaze me!

Amen

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The patience of Job

I may need a little help with this one.  I opened the Bible to Job, read this passage, and then read the next several chapters, trying to discern where God was directing me, and I ended up right back at this passage.  So here goes.

The LORD said to the satan, “Where have you been?” Then the satan answered the LORD and said, “Roaming the earth and patrolling it.”  The LORD said to the satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil.”  The satan answered the LORD and said, “Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing?  Have you not surrounded him and his family and all that he has with your protection? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock are spread over the land.  But now put forth your hand and touch all that he has, and surely he will curse you to your face.”  The LORD said to the satan, “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on him.” So the satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Job 1:7-12

After this passage Job is tested and initially passes.  When bad things happen he still worships God stating:

“Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back there.  The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!”

But eventually the trials seem to get too much and he cries out to God and seems to lash out at God.

Like Job, it is easy to worship God and be good and upright when things are going well, when we feel surrounded by God’s protection.  The trouble often comes when things are not going well.  When satan gets his hand in the mix.  Loving someone, loving God, requires us to be loving and faithful even when things do not go our way.  We cannot act like the child who says “I’ll be your best friend…  but only if you do this for me.”  That’s not love.  That’s selfishness to get what we want.

Today, we refer to the patience of Job, but Job, the supposed model of patience, was not patient for very long.  So maybe it is ok that we aren’t always patient either.  The key is Job does turn back to God, even after lashing out.

God,

Help me to show true love. Call me back when I fall away.  Lead me not into temptation.  And if it comes, deliver me from evil.

Amen

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Writing on the Wall

The gospel reading at church this morning told about how Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man.

“I was blind but now I see.”

Tonight I opened the Bible to Daniel.  The section was called the “Writing on the Wall” and it talked about how King Belshazzar  needed someone to interpret the writing on the wall:

Daniel answered the king: “You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else; but the writing I will read for the king, and tell what it means. The Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, splendor, and majesty.  Because he made him so great, the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Whomever he willed, he would kill or let live; whomever he willed, he would exalt or humble. But when his heart became proud and his spirit hardened by insolence, he was put down from his royal throne and deprived of his glory; he was cast out from human society and his heart was made like that of a beast; he lived with wild asses, and ate grass like an ox; his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingship and sets over it whom he will. You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this; you have rebelled against the Lord of heaven. You had the vessels of his temple brought before you, so that you and your nobles, your consorts and your concubines, might drink wine from them; and you praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence. But the God in whose hand is your very breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify. By him was the hand sent, and the writing set down.

Daniel 5:17-24

As I read this I thought how easy it is to see where the kings went wrong.  How easy it was to see the proverbial “writing on the wall.”  They let their greed and pride get the best of them and as a result lost all of the goodness that God had bestowed.  It is so easy to sit in judgment and say, if God gave me kingship, greatness, splendor and majesty — I would bow to Him, I would glorify Him, I would be humble and grateful.  Wouldn’t I?  Of course as soon as I started typing this thought, I was quickly reminded of all the gifts God does bestow on me.  And all the times I fail to glorify Him, all of the times I am not humble and grateful and all of the times I covet something else, or bow to the “gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone,” Facebook and electronics.  And I thought back to this morning’s gospel reading, “I was blind but now I see.”  Wouldn’t it be nice if every day we could see the writing on our own wall, if we could see, really see what God is trying to tell us, if we could see, really see all of the goodness that God has bestowed on us and be grateful and humble.

Thank you God for all of the gifts you give me.  I know I am not worthy.  Everything I have is because of you.  Please give me the grace and wisdom to see, really see.  Please open my eyes every morning to your grace and mercy.  I am humbled by your greatness and by your merciful love.  Your love is all I need.

I am grateful!  I am satisfied!

 

 

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God lifts us up for the slam dunk

This morning, I woke up early and decided to open the Bible while I ate some Frosted Mini-Wheats.  The Bible fell open to John chapter 8.  In John 8, Jesus saves the woman from being stoned and reminds her would be assailants:

“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

I have always found this passage very easy to grasp. People in glass houses should not throw stones.  None of us have any room to talk.  Or are righteous enough to judge others.  Easy to grasp, not always easy to live up to.  But today I read further:

Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.  How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”  Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.  A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. So if a son frees you, then you will truly be free.”

John 8: 31-36

I read this passage over several times, particularly the last three sentences:  “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.  A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. So if a son frees you, then you will truly be free.” At first it was very troubling to me.  And I was filled with this feeling of hopelessness.  “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”  Well, we all know that we are all sinners.  So we are all slaves.  “A slave does not remain in a household forever.”  What does that mean?  We don’t remain on earth?  We don’t remain alive?  Of course both of these are true.  We don’t remain in God’s household?  We are not truly part of His house, His kingdom?  This is where, the feeling of hopelessness set in.  Because I know I am a sinner.  I also understand that all humans are sinners and that we really cannot opt out of being a sinner here on earth.  So is it hopeless?  I want to be able to not be a slave to sin.  I want to remain in God’s household forever.  But from everything I read and hear and understand, I cannot choose to do that — I will always sin — so isn’t it hopeless and why do we try not to sin, if we know we will fail?  Is anyone else feeling hopeless with me, now?

So I put the Bible down and thought — maybe I will try to open it again later and it will be a happier place.

Then as I was driving to church, I had a moment of clarity, or at least I think it was. My hopelessness came, because I was thinking only of myself, and my pride was getting in the way saying if I cannot fix it, then it is hopeless.  If I cannot not sin, then  I am a failure.  I was totally missing the last sentence: “So if a son frees you, then you will truly be free.”  Jesus frees us.  Jesus is our hope. I was putting myself ahead of God.  I was thinking like a child: if I can’t do it on my own, then I don’t want it.  I am not able to do it on my own, but God is.  I just need to be humble enough to accept it.  And I need to be humble enough to ask for God’s grace and mercy — to ask Him to free me.

Ok, starting to feel a lot better.  But I was still struggling with a question that has haunted me before.  Why should we keep trying not to sin, even if we know we will fail and continue to sin.  Because God asks us to try.   By trying we show our love for Him. (This time some clarity came from basketball.)  We all root for the under dog.  (I am watching #11 seed Xavier University trying to beat #1 seed Gonzaga right now in the NCAA Elite Eight.)  Why do we like the under dog?  Because they don’t give up — they keep trying even when the odds are against them.  Why do they keep trying?  Because they love the game, they love their team.  God wants us to try.  And understand that when we try, and when we accept our failure and turn to Him, he will lift us up to the rim, so we can finish with the slam dunk.

Jesus,

I love you!  I do not want to sin.  I want to live in your household forever.  I need your help.  I need your grace and your mercy.  Forgive me for my sins.  Break the chains that bind me.  I know that when you lift me up, I will truly be free.  Lord, Lift me up!

Amen