turtle30cshell Daily Devotions For May 15, 2020

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Nature Of Ruth
5/15/2020

Daily Devotions:
by Christina Farris

Ruth 2:4-23 KJV
4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.
5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?
6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:
7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.
8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.
10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.
12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
13 Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.
14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.
15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:
16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.
18 And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.
19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.
20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.
22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.
23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

The kindness Ruth showed her mother in law was one of not only faith, but a kindness of humanity and friendship to her mother in law. Boaz recognized Ruth love and compassion for his cousin Naomi and aid her in her work. How many recognize the love someone has for their in-laws. Did Ruth obey God, this was a time of laws in Israel. Naomi would know those laws and customs to aid Ruth at the time of harvest to not only snag a husband but to be protected by Boaz in chapter 3-4. Ruth first found favor because of the car she showed an Israelite. Ruth was from a Moab and was a Moabite from birth, and yet she walked Naomi all the way to her home land and cared for her during the journey.

The journey is the battle in life. The journey of caring for others in life pathway. If we fail to care about someone or there hopes and dreams we fail to enjoy friendships of others in our life. Social Isolation for some the past few months probably has seem harsh and for others it is that solitude they longed for and needed to escape the rushness of the world around them. For some the togetherness of those they love the most has been a true blessing in their life.

Ruth took on the responsibility as provider for her mother in law. She took on the responsibility of being outcast in society she knew not that chose to welcome her when she showed love for her mother in law. How you treat others often depends on your survival in life and yet it is a custom of our world most do not realize even exist.

I was thinking how in I Timothy 5 it talks about carrying for the widows. I wonder what was Naomi life like when she came into the land of Moab with her husband and raised her children there. Her children would marry two women only to die leaving Ruth and her sister in law a widow. And only one obeyed Naomi in returning to her people and Ruth stay with Naomi and declared her God would be her God and her people her people. Yet she knew not Naomi people. Ruth a widow herself was willing to take the chance in a strange land.

What is point, we see two rules of Old and New Testament customs one being shown and taught and one be instructed to care for those without families, those that could not attend families. What is the point, was there issue in the land where Timothy was that these instruction were now being taught by the church. Was this a social custom or law or was it society law, or God's law. Or is the law of caring for others a natural law or one given from the time of faith? We have customs outside the church that has nothing to do with customs of the church or the believers life. If we choose to value customs of hate, bigotry, shunning, ignorance and of inhumane, then we fail to value God's law more. God's law is love and Ruth showed love to her in-law, a widom and women of years, so much so others took notice.

When we show respect of others more then ourselves we have to ask, whose law was this, the law of God or the law of man. Where did you learn it, from Christian values and Christian upbringing or social groups that cater to the widow. When Bible is taught we learn more then just about God but about the journey of caring for others. About loving others. The acts of kindness toward others. We should not be showing hate or anger. Attitudes are defined by God of whether be of God. I learn if my attitude in church is not of God then being outside might be better, If my attitude still needs fixing then I need to look within myself and say Lord this is something you truly need to change in my life. If I go into the world and find more love then inside a church, I need to ask why is that, what customs are legalism and not God's law of love. Check yourself what is your attitude vs your actions this morning.

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to show love to others even in a strange world, despite customs or laws of social upbring, or religious legalism. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: 1 Timothy 5:2-16 KJV
2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
3 Honour widows that are widows indeed.
4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.
5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.
6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.
7 And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless.
8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
10 Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.
11 But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;
12 Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.
13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
15 For some are already turned aside after Satan.
16 If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

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