Hooked!

When I read about David in 2 Samuel 11-12 I can't help but think of fishing with my Dad. Dad loved to fish, I'm sure I must have been a chatty little girl because he would always say "shh...you're going to scare the fish away". When I was real young he would get my line out in the water in just the right spot and then hand the pole over for me to wait. Waiting is such a hard thing to do and at times can be very tiring especially for a young girl who just wants to catch a fish and make her Daddy proud (we can get ourselves in all kinds of trouble when we are tired or bored) Dad would get the worm set just right on the hook to hide it so that just a little bit of the worm would hang down to entice the fish to come and bite upon my hook. When I would get a little nibble I'd yank the line right up out of the water and would be so disappointed when there wasn't a fish on the other end. Dad would have to put the line back in the water in that special spot and I'd have to wait again. He would say, be patient once you feel a little nibble just leave the pole right there don't move a muscle. Let the fish come back and get another little taste and once he really bites down then give it a little jerk and set the hook, once you get him hooked he will try and swim away with your worm then start reeling him in - you've got him then. 

Thinking of this I can't help but be reminded of what Hebrews 12:1 says - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. How many times have we found ourselves hooked and square in the middle of sin - so easily entangled, but we have our hope in Jesus Christ who died for our sin which enables us to throw it off and run the race God has marked out for us to run!

To this day I can remember when Dad took me fishing and allowed me to cast my own pole. I remember his instructions and telling me how to watch the line and the hook as I put it over my shoulder then watch where you want it to land in the water, throw your cast then turn the handle just once on the reel and sit and wait for the fish to bite. There's that word again "wait". I did as he said but I didn't see it land in the water so I gave it a yank and then Dad screamed, I had hooked his left ear and when I looked over all I could see was the hook pierced through the top of his ear and the worm was wiggling all over his ear. My casting lesson ended at that moment but his fishing lessons live on.

In the season he was in David was in a place where he shouldn't be, kings would go to the battlefield in the Spring but David stayed back at the palace -nibble nibble. Then when a sleepless night and boredom set in that was another nibble on the worm. Looking at something or someone you shouldn't be looking at - nibble nibble. Then learning she was married, David sent for Bathsheba anyway - nibble nibble. Sleeping with her set the hook and he was easily entangled in his own web of sin. Sin leads to death of innocence, not only did David have Bathsheba's husband killed but the son that was born of this relationship died. 

At each crossroad David had a choice and he chose self gratification instead of seeking God's will in the situation. There was a king in place and David was the king of Israel but he wasn't seeking God as King of kings and Lord of lords to rule over his decision making - anytime we don't do that it's sin. We are separated from God due to our sin. Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.  Sin separates us from God because of His holiness. We need to be in an intimate relationship with Jesus and we need to live with Him as Lord of our lives. David made the choice when he felt the conviction of his sin to turn and repent.

In Jesus we have redemption - Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in ALL these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - It's spelled out Christ has a love so deep for us that he was willing to come to this world taking on flesh allowing his flesh to die on the cross bearing the full weight of our sin all sin for all time. He didn't spare himself, he didn't get entangled by his flesh but laid it down for us because of his great love he bridged the gap between God and man that sin caused. Nothing trumps Christ's love for us - may we receive the fullness of his great love and mercy and draw closer to him in an intimate way. May we seek him first and then be ready to receive every good gift he has for us. We all have fallen short of his glory and we continue to fall short. But Christ extends to us his righteousness and when we allow him to be Lord of our lives he makes us right with God.  

Ragman by Walter Wangerin, Jr

from 

"Ragman and Other Cries of Faith" 

I saw a strange sight. I stumbled 

upon a story most strange, like 

nothing my life, my street sense, 

my sly tongue had ever prepared 

me for. 

Hush, child. Hush, now, and I will 

tell it to you. Even before the 

dawn one Friday morning I noticed 

a young man, handsome and strong, 

walking the alleys of our City. 

He was pulling an old cart filled 

with clothes both bright and new, 

and he was calling in a clear, 

tenor voice:  "Rags!" (Ah, the air 

was foul and the first light filthy 

to be crossed by such sweet music.) 

"Rags! New rags for old! I take 

your tired rags! Rags!" "Now, this 

is a wonder," I thought to myself, 

for the man stood six-feet-four, 

and his arms were like tree limbs, 

hard and muscular, and his eyes 

flashed intelligence. 

Could he find no better job than 

this, to be a ragman in the inner 

city? I followed him. My curiosity 

drove me. And I wasn't disappointed. 

Soon the Ragman saw a woman sitting 

on her back porch. She was sobbing 

into a handkerchief, sighing, and 

shedding a thousand tears. Her knees 

and elbows made a sad X. Her 

shoulders shook. Her heart was 

breaking. 

The Ragman stopped his cart. Quietly, 

he walked to the woman, stepping 

round tin cans, dead toys, and 

Pampers. "Give me your rag," he 

said so gently, "and I'll give 

you another." He slipped the 

handkerchief from her eyes. She 

looked up, and he laid across her 

palm a linen cloth so clean and 

new that it shined. She blinked 

from the gift to the giver. 

Then, as he began to pull his cart 

again, the Ragman did a strange 

thing: he put her stained 

handkerchief to his own face; 

and then HE began to weep,   

to sob as grievously as she had 

done, his shoulders shaking. Yet 

she was left without a tear. 

"This IS a wonder," I breathed to 

myself , and I followed the sobbing 

Ragman like a child who cannot turn 

away from mystery. 

"Rags! Rags! New rags for old!" 

In a little while, when the sky 

showed grey behind the rooftops and 

I could see the shredded curtains 

hanging out black windows, the 

Ragman came upon a girl whose head 

was wrapped in a bandage, whose 

eyes were empty. Blood soaked her 

bandage. A single line of blood 

ran down her cheek. Now the tall 

Ragman looked upon this child with 

pity, and he drew a lovely yellow 

bonnet from his cart. 

"Give me your rag," he said, 

tracing his own line on her cheek, 

"and I'll give you mine." The child 

could only gaze at him while he 

loosened the bandage, removed it, 

and tied it to his own head. The 

bonnet he set on hers. And I gasped 

at what I saw: for with the bandage 

went the wound! Against his brow it 

ran a darker, more substantial 

blood - his own! 

"Rags! Rags! I take old rags!" cried 

the sobbing, bleeding, strong, 

intelligent Ragman. The sun hurt 

both the sky, now, and my eyes; 

the Ragman seemed more and more 

to hurry. 

"Are you going to work?" he asked 

a man who leaned against a telephone 

pole. The man shook his head 

The Ragman pressed him: "Do you have 

a job?" 

"Are you crazy?" sneeredthe other. 

He pulled away from the pole, 

revealing the right sleeve of his 

jacket - flat, the cuff stuffed into 

the pocket.  He had no arm. 

"So," said the Ragman. "Give me 

your jacket, and I'll give you 

mine." Such quiet authority in his 

voice! 

The one-armed man took off his 

jacket. So did the Ragman - and I 

trembled at what I saw: for the 

Ragman's arm stayed in its sleeve, 

and when the other put it on he 

had two good arms, thick as tree 

limbs; but the Ragman had only one. 

"Go to work," he said. 

After that he found a drunk, 

lying unconscious beneath an army 

blanket, and old man, hunched, 

wizened, and sick. He took that 

blanket and wrapped it round himself, 

but for the drunk he left new 

clothes. 

And now I had to run to keep up 

with the Ragman. Though he was 

weeping uncontrollably, and bleeding 

freely at the forehead, pulling 

his cart with one arm, stumbling for 

drunkenness, falling again and again, 

exhausted, old, and sick, yet he went 

with terrible speed. On spider's legs 

he skittered through the alleys of 

the City, this mile and the next, 

until he came to its limits, and 

then he rushed beyond. 

I wept to see the change in this 

man. I hurt to see his sorrow. And 

yet I needed to see where he was 

going in such haste, perhaps to 

know what drove him so. 

The little old Ragman - he came to 

a landfill. He came to the garbage 

pits.  And then I wanted to help 

him in what he did, but I hung back, 

hiding. 

He climbed a hill. With tormented 

labor he cleared a little space on 

that hill. Then he sighed. He lay 

down. He pillowed his head on a 

handkerchief and a jacket. He 

covered his bones with an army 

blanket. 

And he died. 

Oh, how I cried to witness that 

death!I slumped in a junked car 

and wailed and mourned as one who 

has no hope - because I had come 

to love the Ragman. 

Every other face had faded in 

the wonder of this man, and I 

cherished him; but he died.I 

sobbed myself to sleep. I did not know - how could I know? 

That I slept through Friday night 

and Saturday and its night, too. 

But then, on Sunday morning, I was 

wakened by a violence. Light - pure, 

hard, demanding light - slammed 

against my sour face,and I blinked, 

and I looked, and I saw the last 

and the first wonder of all. 

There was the Ragman, folding the 

blanket most carefully, a scar on 

his forehead, but alive! And, 

besides that, healthy! There was no 

sign of sorrow nor of age, and 

all the rags that he had gathered 

shined for cleanliness. 

Well, then I lowered my head and 

trembling for all that I had seen, 

I myself walked up to the Ragman. 

I told him my name with shame, for 

I was a sorry figure next to him. 

Then I took off all my clothes in 

that place, and I said to him with 

dear yearning in my voice: "Dress me." 

He dressed me. My Lord, he put new 

rags on me, and I am a wonder beside 

him. 

The Ragman, the Ragman, 

THE CHRIST

My heart's desire

God has a plan and a purpose for all of us, and within us there is a place where only He can dwell. Philippians 2:13 tells us "for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" We are all God's creation, however we must have an intimate personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Jesus must be Lord of our lives and we must make a choice of whom we are going to serve. How often we find ourselves serving our own foolish desires the desires of our flesh instead of seeking God's will. As His children we have the gift of the Holy Spirit to provide us with everything we need. What would our lives look like if we relied on the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

If you are anything like me too often I find myself wearing my heart on my sleeve. What if I placed my heart in the hands of God? What differences would there be if I found my ultimate approval in God and not people or the wisdom of this world? So if "it's God at work in my life to will and to act in order to fulfill his good pleasure" WHY would I not trust Him to bring about everything that is good in His eyes? 

Our hearts must be rooted and grounded in God and in order for us to know Him we have to seek His Word - the bible and Jesus the Word Made Flesh who  came to this earth to redeem us and rely on His precious Holy Spirit to guide us. The night Jesus was handed over to be crucified he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane and told his disciples who were keeping watch - Matthew 26: 41 " Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak". Are you in your garden of Gethsemane? Are the troubles of this life overwhelming you? Be of good cheer, Jesus has overcome this world and if you seek Him, He will be your deliverer. Our flesh is weak - Mark 10:27 says, Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Beloved, there is nothing impossible with God! 

We find God in the presence of His Word. Below is a picture of the Ark of the Covenant which God had instructed Moses to build so that he could come and speak with Moses and the high priests (see Exodus 25: 10-22) Within the ark God told Moses to place the tablets of stone that God had written the Ten Commandments on. Mind you these were not the original sets of stone oh no, Moses broke those when he came down from the mountain after a wonderful experience with God. Has that ever happened to you? It's sure happened to me. You have this wonderful mountain top experience with God you are "floating on air" and then when you come down from the mountain top all hell is breaking loose and you are walking in the middle of it. Your emotions take over and you throw away everything you just experienced. Moses did, he took the stones that God's finger had written upon and threw them to the ground where they broke. Sin = God's law broken - His Word is precious and should be cherished above ALL ELSE!! After all His Word will prevail - even when it doesn't "feel" like it. When we allow our emotions to take over we're a basket case - Moses was after all a basket case (sorry couldn't help that) are we any different? But just as Moses the basket case, tossed the Word away God is a redeemer and when we place our lives in His hands He will work it out for our good and His glory. God created another set of stone tablets which he instructed Moses to place inside the ark of the covenant.

God gave special instructions on how this holy ark was to be carried. There were 4 rings which held 2 poles made of acacia wood covered in gold that the Kohathites tribal clan chosen by God were allowed to carry (see Numbers 4: 1-20) 

How many of us are guilty of putting the cart before the horse? We are all in a constant battle over "the covenant" whether we realize it or not. The Israelites would have the ark of the covenant then it would get captured by the Philistines (Israel's enemy). How much ground have we given over to the enemy of our soul, just handed it right over placed it square in the hands of Satan? Again we are reminded of Judges 21:25 "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit" Yep! When we do as we see fit we are positioning ourselves as Lord and there is only one Lord of lords & King of kings and that is God Almighty and He has His ways and we must come in align with His will. When we try and do what we think is best and not what God says is best then our carts are misplaced. 

We might have the best of intentions but if those don't line up with the Word of God there are consequences. There is a well known saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". Uzzah found that out the hard way. 2 Samuel 6: 1-8. King David had defeated the Philistines in yet another battle and was bringing the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem. They set the ark of God on a "new cart" Uzzah was there and took hold of it because the oxen pulling the cart stumbled. This was seen as an irreverent act and Uzzah was struck down dead right there on the spot. One might say, well he had the best of intentions and was keeping the ark from falling. When we try and do what we think is best and not what God says there are great consequences. 

Far too often I find myself letting fear Lord over me. I don't do this or say that because I'm afraid. We are called to lay our lives down for the sake of the cross. My way is not the best way, it's not a matter of if I'll screw up it's a matter of my obedience and when I screw up I can run into the saving arms of my Lord where his blood washes me white as snow because his covenant with me is secure and will sustain any fall I might have.

Today I leave you with Psalm 42:

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirst for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" 

These things I remember as I pour out my soul; how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? 

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon - from Mount Mizar. 

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me - a prayer to the God of my life. 

I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long "Where is your God?" Why my soul, are you down cast? Why so disturbed within me? 

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

*No matter where you find yourself may GOD be your heart's desire*

Frustration

Is anyone exempt from frustration? Hannah experienced the frustration of being childless, you can find her story in - 1 Samuel 1-2:11. If you have ever experienced the level of frustration where there are no words, where every place you turn there is frustration in all areas of your life trust me God is at work. 

I experienced this personally just this week. Every where I turned there was an overwhelming frustration that I experienced. Hannah experienced the same thing - 1 Samuel 1:10-11 "In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." Can't you just hear - Why God why? When God when? Maybe it's just me but I've asked those questions on numerous occasions and even did as Hannah and tried to negotiate with God, if you do this for me I'll do this for you. Hannah described her emotional state as being in "misery". God, there He goes again with His perfect timing as we are in the midst of studying this portion of scripture I'm experiencing the same type of emotions. I do not believe in coincidences only God-incidences to which I give Him the glory. Like I said before He's at work, always for our good and His Glory, we just need to be in the right position to receive it. 

In studying this I sought God for an answer to my frustrations, why is this emotion so heavy and burdensome. I found the opposite of frustration is satisfied and in the turn of a page I found a word that jumped off the page and struck me square in the head "rejection".

When we find ourselves in this state of misery or frustration we need to be mindful of one thing. God sets a plumb line among his people - Amos 7:8. Webster's dictionary defines a plumb line as- "a line (as of cord) that has at one end a weight and is used especially to determine vertically". How do we line up vertically? Where do we find out if we do line up vertically? His Word the bible and the exampled life of Jesus Christ who is the Word Made Flesh who has dwelt among us and it's only a life in Christ where we are truly satisfied. 

I'm not quite sure if words can truly express the release God granted me Sunday during worship. As Pastor Jerry was preaching he shared that "when we choose God's morality it changes our reality". As humans we are in a constant battle between Reality vs. Morality and Morality vs. Authority. So if you have no king you are your own authority. God has to be our moral authority because He and only He is infallible. Countless times we put our hope in ourselves and/or others only for us to fall or have others fail us. My release came when our pastor said "I am not your moral authority - God is". If you have ever been hurt by a church or a pastor, please do yourself a favor right now as you are reading this STOP! 

Forgive them, forgive yourself and ask God to forgive you for when you have allowed anyone but Him to be your moral authority. Don't waste one more minute do it NOW!!! Trust me I've wasted too much time feeling frustrated over a situation where I stood my ground and stood on the Word of God only to be rejected by a pastor and church. God's word spoke so clearly to me in 1 Samuel 8:7 "And the Lord told him (Samuel): Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king." Do not get me wrong, I'm not saying that you shouldn't gather in church or honor the position of pastor over you, what I am saying is those relationships have to line up with the Word of God. 

We all fall short of the glory of God and if we are seeking God's glory from a human it will always fall short. God's Word tells us - Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. It's about seeking God first then His Spirit will move in the heart(s) of His Beloved to do His great work. It all boils down to LORDSHIP plain and simple. Is God, Lord of Lords in our life? Or have we taken over that spot or have we placed someone else on that throne? There is only One worthy of that position and it is God and God alone!

I love the part in the story of Samuel (yes, God answers Hannah's prayer and grants her a son) where God speaks to him. 1 Samuel 3 this section of scripture gives me great hope. #1 God spoke #2 Samuel heard God's voice but didn't recognize that it was Him #3 Eli the priest (Samuel's mentor) recognized it was God speaking #4 Samuel heard God calling him again and then replies "Speak, for your servant is listening". I get great joy out of this because God spoke, He still speaks today and we have that promise because His Word also teaches us that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. When we yield to Him we can hear His voice and as believers be guided by His Spirit to do what it is He's calling us to do. 

We need to be vertically minded, whatever this life brings, whatever steps we are walking out in the lower story we must be vertically minded of God's upper story. He knows the plan for us and when we yield to His Lordship we will prosper and it will all be for our good and His glory!

Jesus loves you and nothing you have ever done nor will ever do that will separate you from that love. Receive the healing Christ died to give you, don't waste any more time.

Resolve

"Resolve" I can't say how many times I've heard this word lately. A few of Webster's definitions: to reduce by analysis -  to find an answer to - to reach a firm decision about.

I can't help but think about Ruth (her story is found in Ruth 1-4). When given a choice to return to her hometown and her former way of life she made a choice to stay with her deceased husband's mother named Naomi. Ruth 1:14-15 says "At this they (Ruth & her sister-in-law) wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. Look, said Naomi, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." 

Two important things to notice is #1 - they wept aloud again #2 - Ruth clung to her. Naomi gave her daughters-in-law a choice to return to their home and make a life for themselves at which time they wept and decided to continue on with Naomi, again she gave them another choice and Orpah decided to return home sad, but she returned. At which time Ruth reached a firm decision - she resolved to stay with her mother-in-law. 

I think as a people we have a tendency to relate to Orpah. We make a decision or a choice about living a life for God then when presented with another choice (sometimes unrecognizable by us - still a choice) we choose to return to our old life and serve other gods. Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Thank God that nothing we do can separate us from His great love for us in Christ Jesus. We have a REDEEMER and His name is Jesus. 

There had to be something different about Naomi that caused Ruth to want to stay with her. Naomi had spent 10 years with her daughters-in-law in their land until her husband and her two sons had died. I would guess that something about her was different and desirable to be around even though she might not have recognized it in herself. 

Ruth tells Naomi in Ruth 1:16-17 - "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." Ruth had RESOLVE she found an answer to her life. She was going to be faithful to Naomi and to her God at all costs. 

These two ladies came to Bethlehem (Naomi's hometown) and of course everyone in town was "stirred". In Naomi mind she wasn't returning in the same fashion she left, she "went away full and returned empty". I can just hear brakes screeching right about now................. let me see Naomi, her husband Elimelek & their two sons left their land due to a famine to live for a while in the country of Moab, but she saw herself "full", and was returning "empty". 

She returned to her hometown and renamed herself Mara "because her life was bitter". She was labeling herself based on her situation - she was getting stuck in the lower story. Don't we do the same? Why do we make the choice to be bitter about the things that happen in our life instead of giving them over to God to make us BETTER? Why does that seem to be our first response? Just call me Mara...BITTER. And this is the same woman that Ruth desired to follow? I still think Ruth saw something or someone (God) in Naomi that she didn't see in herself. 

Is it just me or would you like God to say, "Naomi, I know you and your family are hungry, you're going to spend 10 years in a foreign land full of Moabites who are your peoples enemies where you will loose your husband and your sons but you will gain a faithful daughter-in-law and she will return home with you and I will provide all the way there and back and then I'll use everything you've been through and redeem you (the upper story)". Oh but why would she need faith? God didn't change over this time but her circumstances did. It wasn't God's will for them to leave the promised land but no choice we make (sin) is beyond God's redemptive power. 

Naomi chose to be faithful to her husband and joined him on the journey through the lower story living in a land filled with the Israelites enemies. Her husband Elimelek thought the grass looked greener and Moab had the appearance of provision. How many times do we make decisions because the grass looks greener on the other side, not because we have prayed and received direction from God or we willfully decided just to do what we think is best (which is sin)? Thank God for His grace and His mercies which are new every day.

As people we have a desire and need for security. Even though the Israelites were living in the promised land there was no king and the people did as they thought right in their own eyes (sin). Naomi now a widow was without the security and covering of her husband in a foreign land decided to return home. 

God desires to be in an intimate relationship with us and in that we find our true security. When we get to the point were we realize what we have been doing isn't working and we feel the draw of God's Spirit calling us home he is right there ready to embrace us - the place where the lower story meets the upper story. Ruth found security in her relationship with Naomi and through that relationship she was led to make God her God. We plant all kinds of seeds some good - some weeds. Father God, please bring strong believers into our lives so that we may be mutually encouraged by each others faith (Romans 1:12)

I have a dear friend named Helen who's response to anything that comes her way is "Glory to God". I was on the phone with her and was boo-hoo-ing about something going on in my life at the time and she responded "Glory to God Beloved". I thought to myself well she is an older lady maybe she didn't hear me over the top of all my crying so I'll repeat myself so she can hear all this trouble I'm going through. I repeated my troubles to her and she responded again with "Glory to God Beloved". It took me quite awhile being around this strong believer to get it when one day I came across Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose". What if we gave everything the good and the bad over to God for his purpose? The earth is His and everything in it so why not trust him to bring about all things for our good and his glory. 

This is what happened with Naomi & Ruth, they returned to Bethlehem and out of their need for food Ruth had to glean (gather grain or other produce left by reapers). God didn't put her in just any old field but a field who belonged to a family member of Naomi named Boaz. Another definition for glean is to gather bit by bit. I like to think of this when we go through something. Bit by bit Lord let me learn something from what I go through let nothing go to waste. It's so easy to become bitter from what we have gone through. God help us to be like Ruth and be better. Ruth was learning about obedience, faithfulness, forgiveness, restoration and God's redemption. Boaz was a foreshadow of Christ, as a kindsman-redeemer he married Ruth giving her and Naomi provision and security (they were redeemed) and from their relationship they produced offspring. Ruth was graphed in to the family line which would bring forth the earthly parents of Jesus who called himself "Son of Man" which means we are kindsman and if we ask him to come into our life and take over lordship Jesus becomes our redeemer - Kindsman-Redeemer. 

Daily we are given a choice, may we resolve (reach a firm decision) who we are going to serve - Jesus Christ the one who died to give us the fullness of life. 

Glory to God Beloved!