The poor. [ James 2 v 14 -17 ]

Now here we have two women with no means of support, in other words they were poor,what could they do?. Real poverty is sad, when you have nothing to feed your children,how do you look on the poor? our Saviour said the poor would be always with us[ Matthew 26 v11 ]. We need to to take our responsibility very serious as regards helping the poor,a famous actor was arressted for speaking out strongly, in relation to a terrible situation in a part of Africa, like hm we need to do something, to help the poor. One of the most challenging stories our Saviour told was about a rich man who ignored a man in desperate need. This needy person lay just outside the richmans gate, the rich man gave him a few crumbs, yet there he lay until he died ,our Saviour describes the fate of this cruel mean person[ Luke 16 v 19 -31 ].Getting back to Ruth and Naomi these poor women , what could they do ?well God had it all worked out, in His law, God commanded that when the fields were harvested,the harvesters were to leave some of the crop for the poor [ cp Leviticus 19 v 9-10 ]. Here is a interesting verse in Proverbs 19v 17./He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given will He pay him again/. We will never loose out in helping others ,the Lord Himself will repay us with interest.

A prayer..../ Dear God,help us to help the needy, to not be judgmental,but to have a loving attitude, in Jesus name. Amen /

He is in control. [ Job 2 v10 ]

Naomi declares ,I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty [1 v21],for those ancient Israeles there was no second causes,no, to them God was in control of life, and although He may use different means, He is in overall control. Is there not a saying God laughs at us when we make our plans, so many people are making their plans,they have taken into account every eventuality,all except God. Naomi acknowledged Gods hand in the events of her life, likewise Job[ cp 1 v21],who declared ,the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Spurgeon tells the story of a little girl who was born deaf and dumb, she was sent to a special school to be educated. A visitor came and was asked to question the children, he would write the question down and the children would write the answer down,he asked the little girl, why were you born deaf and dumb?. A look of anguish came over her face, but then it cleared,and she wrote her answer,even so Father , for so it seemeth good in thy sight.

A prayer..../ Dear God we thank You that although life at times appears to be out of control,that is not so,that You are in control of all our lives, even the painful times, help us to trust in You at all times, in Jesus name Amen /

/ I will not be blogging tomorrow/

Bitterness. [ Ruth 1 v20-21 ]

So Naomi returns home to Bethlehem with Ruth , Bethlehem the birthplace of our Saviour, what was happening to Naomi and to Ruth had a deep significance. Naomi was greeted by the people in Bethlehem,by the words ,is this Naomi?,ten years had passed ,she had changed, and Naomi replies to their enquiries, call me not Naomi which means pleasant, but call me Mara which means bitterness. Now I dont believe that Naomi had a bitter spirit, but simply what she had experienced had been bitter,loosing your husband and two sons,was a bitter pill to swallow. There is a few words of a song I remember from years ago, a cry to God,/ Keep me sweet/, there is nothing so awful as a bitter spirit. I think of a woman who was unkind to me,and sought to hurt me,yes she was a Christian, but she was a bitter Christian, most who knew her would dismiss her behaviour as, that was just her. Yes it was just her, her bitterness of spirit, she had been stunted in her Christian growth, by a bitter spirit,failing to grow in grace and love.In Hebrews 12 v 15, we are warned of the dangers of a root of bitterness taking hold of us,the Hebrew Christians like Naomi were suffering. Being bitter helps no one, and can if we let it destroy our whole lives, so beware of the dangers, and damage of such a spirit, seek to overcome it before it takes root, asking God to forgive you, and renew a right spirit within you.

A prayer..../ Dear God when I am faced with difficulties,and experiencing hurts,keep me sweet in Jesus name Amen ./

She became a Christian. [ Ephesians 2 v11 - 22 ]

When Naomi and her family left Israel they went to live in the of Moab ,her husband died, and her two sons married girls called Orpah and Ruth. Should they have married these two non Israeli girls?, the scripture is silent on this particular case, it is better for a believer to marry a believer. After 10 years ,the two boys died,and Naomi was left with no means of support,and just at that time she hears that things are better in Israel,again this was not a chance happening. So she decides to return home, but what about her two daughter in laws?,she could not provide for them,they were non Israelites,better it seemed that they went back to their own people. So Naomi puts it to them,it is a time of deep emotion for these women,but one of these women Ruth,was determined not to leave Naomi, here is what she said to her./Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge, thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest,will I die, and there I will be buried, the Lord do so to me and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.[1 v 16-17 ]/ This girl Ruth loved her mother in law [ it is not always so ]and it seems to she had embraced her mother in laws faith. This gentile woman would no longer be an alien from the commonwealth of Israel , no longer a stranger fron the convenants of promise,having no hope, and without God in the world,bringing it into New Testament time,she had become a Christian.

A prayer..../Dear God we thank You for the grace that brought Ruth to yourself,for using Naomi dear God use me in the glorious task of soul winning ,for the sake of our dear Saviour we ask this Amen./

The providence of God.[ Genesis 24 v27 ]

The book of Ruth is a lovely book to read ,it has only four chapters ,so it is easy to read at one sitting, it has many things to teach us. One of the themes of this book is the providence of God,which involved suffering ,famine,three deaths, poverty,and yet we see clearly a sovereign God at work. It commences with a family who moved home , because Israel was experiencing a famine, I come from a country, that experienced a terrible famine,and many had to leave Ireland in order to to survive. Remember things dont happen by chance, things come into our lives for a purpose, it prompted this family to move.If you are experienceing difficulties at this time ,mybe God is pushing you to move, to change direction.I remember my own experience in Ulster, every door was shut fast to me, I was unemployed, I ended up in England pastoring a little church. It is a step I never regretted, as I look back ,[and it is in looking back we begin to appreciate the ways of God in our lives],I can trully say all the way, my God has led , and guided.

A prayer...../ Dear God help us to trust in Your providential care,that in all things You are in control, in Jesus name Amen /

Tomorrow. [Matthew 6 v25 -34 ]

The word of God points out the importance of not carrying tomorrows burdens today,to live one day at a time, many people are driven by anxiety of what may happen,in the future.It is a burden we are not meant to carry,of course our future may bring all sort of things into our lives, that are unpleasant,we are not saying that bad things wont happen.We are not saying we are not to act in a responsible way,we should as regards our finances ,give, spend and save.Our Saviour tells us to put God first and then all else will fall into place,He often spoke of God as a Father , a Father who loves His children, and will care for them. We are called to trust Him, His resources are infinite,His power is infinite, and His love for His Children is unconditional,and eternal. This loving Heavenly Father is watching over His children,we are to set our thoughts on Him, not on our uncertain tomorrows,our Saviour says dont even give a thought about the possible problems of tomorrow.

I know who holds the future,and He will guide me with His hand.

With God things dont happen, everything by Him is planned.

So as I face tomorrow,with its problems large and small,

I,ll trust the God of miracles,give to Him my all [ Alfred Smith ]

A prayer......./Dear Loving Heavenly Father we commit all our tomorrows into Your loving hands in Jesus Your Sons name Amen /

Amazing .[ Ephesians 2 v 8-9 ]

My son visited the place were John Newton spent his early childhood, Purfleet/ Averley, in the county of Essex .The event he attend was an historical meeting were a plaque was erected and a historical talk was on Johns life. There was also a person who sung one of the most famous hymns ever written , Amazing grace,and one of the most recorded songs ever,it is one of my favourite hymns.It does amaze me how this hymn keeps popping up, it appears to me that God keeps bringing to mens mind, its truth, His amazing grace. What God is saying to us is, that no matter how far you have fallen, His grace can lift you up,no matter how far you have wandered away from God ,you can be restored.You see ,that is what makes it so amazing, the blessings of Grace comes to us through Jesus,salvation came into being by Jesus paying the cost,we could not . The writer , writing of his own experience,descibes himself as a wretch, as being lost and being blind, God saves him through Jesus, this trully amazes him.

A prayer ..../Dear God we praise You for the grace we experience through Jesus Your son, it trully is amazing. Amen /