Daniel 1:1-16 Solving The Problems Of Life With God

"God would rather have His people living in shameful captivity in a pagan land than living like pagans in the Holy Land and disgracing His name ... It looked like a victory for the idols, but it was actually a victory for the Lord!  He kept His covenant with Israel and He fulfilled His promises ... How strange that God's own people didn't obey Him, but Nebuchadnezzar and the pagan Babylonian army did!  So wise and powerful is our God that He can permit men and women to make personal choices and still accomplish His purposes in this world.  When He isn't permitted to rule, He will overrule, but His will shall ultimately be done and His name glorified.  We worship and serve a sovereign God who is never caught by surprise," my commentary began.

"Daniel and his three friends were transformers:  instead of being changed, they did the changing.  God used them to transform the minds of powerful rulers and to bring great glory to His name in a pagan land ... they gave themselves wholly to the Lord ... then they were gracious toward those in authority."

"When it comes to solving the problems of life, we must ask God for the courage to face the problem humbly and honestly, the wisdom to understand it, the strength to do what He tells us to do, and the faith to trust Him to do the rest.  Our motive must be the glory of God and not finding a way of escape."

Father, direct me in this new path and help me have the time to do all that You would have me do.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 4 -- God Still Writes The Last Chapter

My commentary entitled this chapter "Love Finds A Way".  It said, "The Book of Ruth opens with three funerals but closes with a wedding ... Not all of life's stories have this kind of happy ending; but this little book reminds us that, for the Christian, God still writes the last chapter.  We don't have to be afraid of the future."

The marks of the redeemer:  "Not everyone could perform the duties of a kinsman-redeemer.  To begin with, he had to be a near relative ... Boaz was a type of Christ ... He had to become related to us before He could redeem us.  He became flesh and blood so He could die for us on the cross."

"The kinsman-redeemer also had to be able to pay the redemption price.  Ruth and Naomi were too poor to redeem themselves, but Boaz had all the resources necessary to set them free.  When it comes to the redemption of sinners, nobody but Jesus Christ is rich enough to pay the price."

"There was a third qualification:  "The kinsman redeemer had to be willing to redeem ... The nearer kinsman had the money, but not the motivation.  He was afraid he would jeopardize his own family's inheritance."

 

My commentary described this as "the great transaction that would ultimately involve the coming of the Son of God into the world."  We never know what God will be up to regarding us!"

Ruth's baby, Obed, would bring blessing to Israel.  "Obed was the grandfather of King David ... The greatest privilege God gave him was that of being the ancestor of the Messiah.  David wanted to build a house for God, but God told him He would build a house (family) for David."

Father, help me to wait on You.  I know You directed me to Ukraine for good reasons.  I can't wait to see what You'll someday be doing with all that.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 3:6-18 Sit Still

"One evidence of your trust will be your willingness to sit still and let Him have His way," my commentary said.

Ruth had prepared to meet Boaz to ask him to be their kinsman-redeemer.  Now she submitted to him, following a known custom of becoming a foot-warmer for the one who would hopefully redeem the family from poverty.  It was an unmistakable request for the kinsman-redeemer to take her in marriage in order to redeem the family property.

Boaz likely thought he was out of the running for the job of being Ruth's husband, for Ruth was young and beautiful and there were eligible young bachelors in Bethlehem.  But God had set Ruth's eyes on Boaz.

Ruth listened to Boaz -- "In the responses of Boaz to Ruth, we see how the Lord responds to us when we seek to have a deeper fellowship with Him.  God accepts us and assures us.  "Our assurance is not in our feelings or our circumstances, but in His Word," my commentary said.

Ruth received gifts from Boaz.  "Ruth's faith and obedience had brought about a complete transformation in their lives, and now they were living by grace."

Ruth waited for Boaz to work.  There was another kinsman-redeemer closer in line than Boaz, and this man had to be consulted first.  It would be easy for Ruth to start feeling anxious about the process.  The words she heard were, "Sit still."  "He is God, and His hands can accomplish the impossible.  Our hands may get in the way and make things worse."

Father, help me not to second guess what You may be doing in my life.  Lead me and help me to wait on You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 3:1-5 Preparation For Meeting God

"Like Ruth, we must not be satisfied merely with living on leftovers, or even receiving gifts.  We must want Him alone, for when we have Him, we also have all that He owns.  It's not the gifts that we seek, but the Giver," my commentary began.

The focus in these five verses was the preparation Ruth needed before she presented herself to Boaz.  

First, she washed herself.  "If we want to enter into a deeper relationship with our Lord, we must 'cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.'  Whenever we sin, we must pray, 'Wash me.' ... We must separate ourselves from whatever defiles us and grieves the Father.

Second, she anointed herself.  "Anointing oil speaks of the presence and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives ... If the spotless Son of God needed the Spirit's power, how much more do we?"

Third, she changed clothes.  "We can't come into God's presence in our own righteousness ... we can only come in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, for we are 'accepted in the beloved.'"

Fourth, Ruth prepared herself by learning how to present herself to him.  "The Old Testament priests knew how to approach God because He gave them instructions in the law.  New Testament Christians know how to approach God because in the Word He has told us what is required ... We have no right to alter the principles of approach that God laid down."

Fifth, Ruth promised to obey.  "She was not only a hearer of the Word, but she was a doer.  A willingness to obey the Lord is the secret of knowing what He wants us to do and being blessed when we do it.... The will of God is not a cafeteria where we can pick and choose what we want.  God expects us to accept all that He plans for us and to obey Him completely."

Father, thank You for again showing me that I have to make sure I am ready to hear from You and that I must rid myself of everything that stands between us.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 2:17-23 The Restoration Of Hope

Naomi had been consumed with bitterness, but now that Ruth had met Boaz, Naomi experienced blessedness.  A real heart change had taken place "because of the new hope she had ... and the one who gave her that new hope was Boaz ... because of who Boaz was -- a kinsman redeemer; because of what Boaz did -- he showed kindness to Ruth;  because of what Boaz had said -- revealing his love for Ruth," my commentary said.

"Should not we who believe in Jesus Christ rejoice in hope?  When you consider who He is, what He has done for us, and what He says to us in His Word, there is no reason for us to feel hopeless.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He has died for us, and now He intercedes for us in heaven.  In His Word, He has given us exceedingly great and precious promises that can never fail.  No matter how you may feel today, no matter how difficult your circumstances may be, you can rejoice in hope if you will focus your faith on Jesus Christ," my commentary concluded.

Father, thank You.  I needed this word today.  I needed my hope restored.  Just in time, as always!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 2:1-16 Rewards Of Living By Faith

My commentary said:  "If we want God to work in our lives and circumstances and accomplish His gracious purposes, then there are certain conditions that we must meet.  These conditions are illustrated in Ruth's experiences in this chapter:  We must live by faith in the Lord, we must live by the grace of God, and we must live in hope."

"When we commit our lives to the Lord, what happens to us happens by way of appointment and not by accident.  Ruth was still a poor widow and an alien, but God was about to create a new relationship that would completely alter her circumstances ... Like Ruth, the lost sinner is outside the covenant family of God, bankrupt, with no claim on God's mercy.  But God took the initiative and provided a way for us to enter His family through faith in Jesus Christ," it continued.

There were many evidences of God's grace in this chapter:  "Boaz took the initiative, he spoke to Ruth, he promised to protect her and provide for her needs, he encouraged Ruth, and he saw to it that she was satisfied."

"Ruth neither looked back at her tragic past nor did she look at herself and consider her sorry plight.  She fell at the feet of the master and submitted herself to him.  She looked away from her poverty and focused on his riches.  She forgot her fears and rested on his promises ... He wasn't ashamed to be identified with her."  And God does the same with us.

Father, thanks for reminding me of what You've done for me and how You have brought me near to You.  As I work with my students, help me to do the same with them.  Let them see You through me. 

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Ruth 1:19-22 New Beginnings To End Bitterness

My commentary called this section "Bitterness:  Blaming God For Our Trials".  Naomi and Ruth left the graves of their husbands as they left Moab and headed back to Bethlehem where they were greeted warmly by friends who apparently had stayed there during the ten-year drought.

"We can't control the circumstances of life, but we can control how we respond to them.  That's what faith is all about, daring to believe that God is working everything for our good even when we don't feel like it or see it happening.  'In everything give thanks' isn't always easy to obey, but obeying this command is the best antidote against a bitter and critical spirit," it said.

Naomi believed that she had nothing to her name, but my commentary said she had her life, new opportunities surrounded by friends, her daughter-in-law Ruth, and Jehovah, the God of Israel!  "Naomi was about to make a new beginning, for with God, it's never too late to start over again."

Father, I thank You this morning so much for the new beginning You've blessed me with as a teacher.  Thank You for the opportunity to build up the lives of my students all week, not just on Wednesday nights.  Thank You for renewed friendships and new friendships with my fellow teachers, but most of all, thank You for being in charge of all this and for setting it all up when I was totally unaware it might ever happen!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford