Back in the summer of 1988, a big hit on the musical pop charts was the song “Don’t Worry, Be happy.” It was a simple song done entirely with voice, no instruments, which was catchy and fun. It’s message was just as the title implies, don’t worry, be happy. Worry is a topic that is addressed throughout Scripture, because it is a “sport” that many (if not all) of us excel at. My wife will tell you I can be a worry wart. Mmm…guilty. To an extent. My personality and my training in the military incline me to think out different scenarios and outcomes. To my defense, it has served us well at times. But worry can become insidious. And worry is in essence, telling God, “This problem is too big for you, so I need to take care of it.” Today’s passage is important for so many reasons, but in these verses, Jesus is telling us directly not to worry. Verse 25 states this from the outset, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life” and then proceeds to give examples that encompass everything we can possibly worry about in life. Food, clothing, esteem. Essentially, what we were taught in sociology class in high school, Lazlo’s hierarchy of needs: physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. It is our God-given instinct of survival. So, if He put it there, they must be important. But where the rub occurs is when we place that above our relationship and trust in God. Seeking these needs come after first seeking God. As verse 33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” One of the first songs that really impacted me when I first became a Christian is a hymn called, “See ye first.” First released in 1971, it beautifully captures Christ’s words in this passage. And when we seek God first, a wonderful thing happens; worry fades. In verse 34, Christ tells us to not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. One of the many ‘isms” I’ve heard over the years is “Don’t’ go looking for trouble.” The older I have gotten, the more I have experienced its wisdom. Our greatest source of wisdom comes from the Bible, for it is God’s breathed Word to us. And Christ tells, don’t worry. Seek Him first, and what is to come will be received next. Pray on!

My mom has a bumper sticker on her truck that says, “Jesus, not luck.” What the world would define as lucky or coincidental, is God’s hand at work every time. I have heard stories from Christians in my life about being in the right place at the right time. I’ve heard about how God has met a financial need even right down to the penny. I’ve heard and seen things I can’t even begin to explain logically, because it was all God. When God puts a person or situation in our lives, He is always on time. We aren’t lucky, we’re blessed. It’s not coincidence, it's providence.

It was no accident that Ruth began to collect food for her and Naomi in Boaz’ field. Verse 20 gives us an important detail about Boaz. He was one of the guardian redeemers, some Bible versions say Kinsman redeemer. This meant he was somehow related to Naomi's husband! Small world, huh? A guardian redeemer could do a few things. They could buy back family land, provide support for vulnerable relatives, and help preserve the family line amongst other things. This information provided some hope for Ruth and Naomi! In this chapter we see the kindness Boaz shows to Ruth. Giving her extra food to take home, providing water for her while she works, and even making sure the male harvesters would leave her alone. Boaz was truly a gentleman. He shows compassion for Ruth knowing her story. Although she was a widow in a foreign land, she made up her mind to work faithfully in the fields to provide for her mother in law. Boaz notices her efforts and treats her with respect! God was in the details. There are no accidents with God. He is our Heavenly Father, caring for us as his children. Your situation is no accident. Even if you made some wrong choices, God can use it. Just as Boaz was a redeemer for Ruth, the Lord is our redeemer. Amen!

Today’s reading, just two verses might seem like small details, but press in, you do not want to miss this “more than imagined” moment.

“So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough.” Ruth 2:17-18

Have you ever been in desperate need? Walk with me down Christina Sue Memory Lane (aka my past) for a moment to a time when I found myself in seemingly unchartered territory. Trying to raise teenagers and care for my 95 year old grandmother with macular degeneration, a storm blew in and life as I knew it would look and feel like a puddle of mud. Left with $7, a failing auto repair business, and no money coming in to make payroll, feed the kids or pay the mortgage, I was broken-hearted, hurt, rejected, lugging around an emotional weight and allowing fear to overtake me. I wasn’t sure what to do next. One morning after dropping the kids off at school, my ears picked up on the lyrics of a new song that began playing on the radio. "I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord. And I am hopeful, I'm waiting on You Lord. Though it is painful, but patiently I will wait. And I will move ahead bold and confident. Taking every step in obedience. While I'm waiting I will serve You. While I'm waiting I will worship. While I'm waiting I will not faint. I'll be running the race even while I wait. I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord.”

I knew that I needed to live out those words that John Waller was singing! Psalm 37:5 came to my mind; to commit all my ways to the Lord. Friends, I’m not going to lie, things were not easy. I worked hard, I trusted God, I committed. And yep, I made a few regrettable mistakes along the way, but I forged ahead and chose to serve and worship God. And I’m excited to say, that 6000 days later- I’ve experienced more than imagined, abundantly more. God’s mercy, grace, love and providence were slathered over my story, His Story!

Ruth's desperate need turned into unexpected abundance. Commitment creates opportunity. To know the story of Ruth is to know the quiet behind-the-scenes providence of God. I imagine that Ruth had a lot of challenging days, hard days. But Ruth’s day of hard work and initiative was her worship and her bridge to opportunity. What a surprisingly abundant harvest, demonstrating God's provision and Boaz’s grace, allowing her to share both the grain and leftovers. Ruth and Naomi’s lives make a shift from desperate poverty and dependence on charity to having a surplus, hinting at the future hope and abundance they would experience.

“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” — Abraham Lincoln.

Ruth is a woman of godly character. We see evidence of this in chapter one of Ruth. After losing her husband, she could have returned home to security and comfort but chose to stay with Naomi and trust God for her needs. This character again shines as we see Ruth humbly trying to provide for Naomi and herself. Rather than sit and wallow in grief, Ruth goes and works the fields, gathering fallen wheat from the harvesters. God commanded that landowners leave a small portion of their fields for the poor to glean from. This was hard and somewhat dangerous, a young woman in the fields with hired hands and day workers. Boaz, a distant relative of Naomi sees Ruth working in the field and is told that she has been working diligently since early morning with only a short break. Ruth wasn’t scared of hard work, she wasn’t worried about her reputation or what others thought of her. She just wanted to do the right thing for Naomi. Character revealed. Ruth is showing kindness and respect for her mother-in-law Naomi, and this will not go unnoticed.

Character is the thing that shows up when no one is looking. Character does the right thing when there is nothing to gain but doing right. In Ruth we have a great example of doing good and being kind even when it may cost us something. Character can be developed and deepened with leading of the Holy Spirit, study of Scripture and honest reflection of one’s actions. Being an individual of character is being Christlike in many ways. The more we emulate Jesus, the deeper our character becomes. Good character is not only a benefit to those around us but to ourselves also. Godly character gives us the tools to navigate this complicated and fallen world, full of disappointment and pain. Godly character allows us to enjoy life in a way that honors God.

Ruth’s kindness is repaid by Boaz. Boaz notices Ruth’s character and rewards it with making her task easier. Boaz’s character is revealed by honoring Ruth’s work by making it easier, rather than dismissing the effort and just giving her food to take back to Naomi. Boaz is drawn to Ruth, because of her humble actions and respect for Naomi. Godly character is drawn to godly character. We know that Boaz is a man of character and good reputation and he is naturally drawn to and shows kindness to Ruth, a woman of character. Character matters.

“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.” — Billy Graham

We all have heard the saying, “The early bird gets the worm.” Which is usually true, and when we think about today's title, “Integrity gets noticed,” we can say that it’s true here as well. You see Boaz and Ruth both showing integrity in today's passage. As we dive in, I encourage you to take note of when their acts of integrity get noticed in a loud visible way.
We read in verse 4:
 “Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, The Lord be with you!”
“The Lord bless you!” they answered.

Boaz showed up to the field and greeted the harvesters with respect and blessing, he didn't show up to make a name for himself. While he was there, he noticed Ruth who was working hard and doing her job. Ruth never came over and introduced herself; she minded her business and focused on her task. Boaz noticed something different about Ruth before he knew her story fully. Character often opens doors that position alone cannot. People may not immediately recognize your faithful living, but integrity leaves evidence. In your workplace, relationships, ministry, and private decisions, consistent integrity becomes visible over time.

You see the book of Ruth teaches so many amazing things but I encourage you to be reminded that our unseen faithfulness is eventually going to be noticed. Also, do not take pride in being seen rather take pride in doing the right thing all the time. Not for yourself but because it brings honor and glory to God.

One of the best things that we can do when we are struggling or having experienced a difficult situation is to “grind.” What I mean is that this is when you need to “put your head down and work hard!” In other words, you cannot change what just happened to you, but what you can do is to “push forward” knowing that God is not done with writing your story. He loves you despite what you “just experienced that hurts!”

Many years ago when we came to Emmanuel it was a church in decline. Many of the past traditions were still leading the church, but unfortunately, the church was not reaching people. The deacons who had interviewed me for the position knew that changes needed to be made. What they didn’t realize is how hard it would be, for even them, when I began to make changes. What happened in that second year was really difficult when the changes began to be made. Hundreds of people left the church. Terrible things were said to my face and behind my back. It was a very difficult time in my life. I began to wonder “where God was” and if I would survive this challenging season.

I often like to use an illustration that proves the reliability of our gracious God. I will take a box and put it on someone’s head and ask him or her what he or she is seeing. The answer is always the same…only the “walls of the box!” This is often what happens to us in a very difficult time - we can only see our circumstances. What we do not see is God’s amazing plan that is unfolding in our pain outside of our limited perceptions, just like everything beautiful and meaningful outside of the box.

We survived those difficult years, and now by God’s amazing grace we are thriving as a church. I heard my pastor many years ago say this: “Pray like it depends on God, and work like it depends on you!” Of course, it ALL depends on God, but I think you get the point. Passion wins the day! Passion is often the mindset and action that God blesses.

Ruth displayed this passion. She lost her husband. She lost her father-in-law and brother-in-law, and what did she do, she put her head down and went to work. When Ruth and Naomi returned back to Israel, they knew that their survival would depend on a new source of “income.” So, Ruth suggested that she go and “glean” grain in the fields with the harvesters. One of the Mosaic Laws required that corners of fields were to be left unharvested for the “poor” of Israel. This prevented the owners from hoarding wealth while allowing those who had little to nothing to be provided for in kind compassion.

Ruth was a humble young woman who did not care about people’s perceptions. She had one goal in mind – to care for her widowed mother-in-law. So, she took advantage of this special law, and she worked very hard to provide for Naomi. Many times when tragedy hits, we “sit around feeling sorry for ourselves” instead of passionately pursuing solutions to our problems. In our culture, people are quick to blame-shift leading to eventual “give-up mode.” Ruth gives us the exact opposite example. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she passionately sought solutions to her struggles. She did so with a work ethic unmatched by the majority of Bible characters.

When I went through that difficult time so many years ago, I did what I knew to do - I worked hard. In fact, that character trait has always been a big part of my identity having been taught it from my parents. Sometimes in life we worry too much about the things that we cannot control instead of focusing on the things that we can control.
My advice to you this week: no matter what challenges you are facing, “put your head down and work!” Ruth did. We should too. God has an amazing way of taking our struggles and pain and redeeming them into purpose that advances the Kingdom and our contentment. He is so good! The best is yet to come!

Week 2
Main Point and Overview:

When Ruth and Naomi returned back into Israel, they knew that their survival would depend on a new source of “income.” So, Ruth suggested that she go and “glean” grain in the fields with the harvesters. One of the Mosaic Laws required that corners of fields were to be left unharvested for the “poor” of Israel. This prevented the owners from hoarding wealth while allowing those who had little to nothing to be provided for in kind compassion. Ruth was a humble young woman who did not care about people’s perceptions. She had one goal in mind – to care for her widowed mother-in-law. So, she took advantage of this special law, and she worked very hard to provide for Naomi. Many times when tragedy hits, we “sit around feeling sorry for ourselves” instead of passionately pursuing solutions to our problems. In our culture, people are quick to blame-shift, leading to eventual “give-up mode.” Ruth gives us the exact opposite example. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she passionately sought solutions to her struggles. She did so with a work ethic unmatched by the majority of Bible characters. The reality is that when a person “pushes forward” in the face of difficulties, others take notice. That is exactly what happened with Ruth. A man by the name of Boaz, who owned the fields that she was gleaning in, began to ask his leaders who this young woman was. In no time, he had noticed her. As he heard her story of selfless sacrifice in staying with her mother-in-law instead of seeking after a husband to take care of her in her own country of Moab, Boaz was impressed at the highest level. This resulted in him beginning to take care of Ruth in ways that she never could have anticipated. What is true of our gracious God is that he always takes care of us when we faithfully honor him and others. Ruth’s faithfulness was beginning to produce results! God’s kindness through Boaz to her was also doing something unique – it was beginning to change Naomi’s heart. Once blinded by her pain, Naomi was beginning to see God’s grace to her through her daughter-in-law. Naomi was once hopeless, but now, she was hopeful. God was also doing something else that no one ever could have expected! Every setback in life has a comeback right around the corner!

Naomi was totally committed to Ruth. But with the loss of her own family, Ruth was now Naomi’s only family. A life full was now left empty. Mara literally means “bitter,” and Naomi from that point on wanted to be referred to as that name because that became her identity. She was bitter because she felt God had, for all intents and purposes, abandoned her. Bitterness is insidious. There is an old analogy about a boiling frog. It basically goes that if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will immediately jump out, recognizing that that environment is dangerous. However, if you put a frog in a pot of water at room temperature and then slowly turn up the temperature to the point of boiling, it will not recognize the danger until it is too late. Bitterness is often that slow boil. Hurt by a relationship gone bad, or attempting to accomplish a goal only to fail over and over again, it can create a joyless life marred with regret and anger. Sadly, as with Naomi, we often turn disappointment into bitterness against God. Naomi proclaimed that God had afflicted her. She didn’t understand why God would take everything from her. And to be honest, when reading about all that happened to her, right or wrong, I can understand her bitterness. It is our nature to want to lay blame on someone when bad things happen. And when there is no one to blame, we blame God. “Why did you let this happen to me?” How often have any of us cried this out in frustration? Bitterness creates a wall of doubt and distrust. And the longer we let it go, the harder it becomes to let go of it. The problem with bitterness is that it is an affliction of the present, that when allowed it can become an affliction for life. Naomi had no idea the plans that God in store for her. She was in a season in life where she knew nothing but pain and resentment not knowing that soon God would bring Boaz into her life. When I look back at those instances in my life where I felt bitter because I felt God had abandoned me and then look at the outcome from those circumstances it is amazing to see how God truly blessed me way more than I could imagine. There is a well-known Christian inspirational poem by Mary Stevenson that focuses on God’s promise to never abandon us. The final stanza reads:

So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
“The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you.”

Bitterness can and will happen. We can choose to let it consume us or choose to give it to God. He is faithful.

Throughout most of my life I’ve almost always made friends that ended up moving away. My closest friend growing up moved to Kentucky when I was in elementary school. A friend of mine moved to Tennessee a few years ago, another moved to Montana, and most recently my best friend moved to Ohio. Sadly, I've had to adjust to what long distance friendship looks like (or doesn’t look like). Thankfully I am still close to two of the friends I’ve mentioned. All that to say, moving out of your home town is almost always an upgrade. It’s usually for a new job, relationship, better climate, or more enjoyable lifestyle. To move back home in most cases is a downgrade.

Naomi experienced this. She lived in Moab for many years, but after the passing of her husband and her sons, it was time to go back home to Bethlehem, her hometown. I can imagine she didn’t want to go, it would be an embarrassment to all in her home town. She left with plenty and is coming back with nothing, except Ruth by her side. Returning home was the only logical decision at this point. After all, that's where the food was and she needed to eat! Upon hearing that the Lord was providing food for Judah, Naomi sets out. Upon arriving, our text says the whole town stirred…because of them. In particular the women of Bethlehem ask, “Could this be Naomi?” Here is Naomi back in her hometown, probably exhausted or even embarrassed, but the town starts talking and drawing attention to her. What might seem like gossip, is actually concern. The Hebrew wording here leans towards concern, curiosity, and shock. Those who knew Naomi knew something wasn’t right upon her return.

God sometimes takes us where we don’t want to go. What can seem like a downgrade to us, is often exactly where God wants us to be. Later, we will see how this detour ended in security, provision, restoration, and even a grandson for Naomi! What seemed to be the end, was only the beginning for these ladies. God was going to take care of them in a POWERFUL way. Are you in a detour right now? Maybe God has you somewhere that just doesn’t make sense. As we continue in the story of Ruth over the next few weeks, I hope it gives you encouragement to keep going. We may not understand why God has us where He does, but hang tight, the story isn’t over.

“At this they 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.” But Ruth replied, “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.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.” Ruth 1:14-18.

It’s funny, well, not so funny, that we hear “mother-in-law” jokes and jabs being flippantly thrown around. I am a mother-in-law to five amazing loved ones and I’d love to think that they would be as committed to me as Ruth was to Naomi. But let me take that thought a few steps further. As I step into Ruth’s sandals for a moment and ponder what was transpiring, . . . I don’t know . . . I don’t know if amid the circumstances that Ruth was in, that I would be as dedicated and faithful as she was. Strap up your sandals and let’s walk through the setting of today’s Bible reading. The time period was after Israel had entered and occupied Canaan, led by Joshua and before King Saul had become the first king of the nation. There was a famine and the land was ruled by judges. If you look at Judges 21:25 “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Within the nation there was no key leadership; there was political chaos; there was military confusion; there was little regard or care for God and people did whatever their little hearts desired. Have you read the book of Judges? Yikes! The people had turned away from God and the nation was spiritually, morally, politically and militarily weak. Does that sound familiar to what is happening today? So, again I say, I don’t really know if I would've been all in with Naomi. Nope. I’d probably be out with the others doing “that which was right in his own eyes”.

Remember too, Ruth was not a blood relative of Naomi. She wasn’t even a Jew. Naomi did not beg Ruth to stay, in fact, she had released her. But Ruth made a choice. She responded with a decision that gave her a very special place in history in the plan of God, although she wouldn’t have known that at the time. I want to be like Ruth. Her determination fuels me! The way she held on to Naomi. Ruth was not going to do anything other than what she said she would do. You go girl!! Steadfastness. Dedication. Loyalty. Ruth reached in and grabbed hold and said, “Naomi, I’m not letting go of you. We’re going to get through this.” She conveyed her loyalty to Naomi. She also expressed her loyalty to God. It was loyalty not just to Naomi but to Naomi’s God, our God, a follower of Jehovah God! This may have been a turning point for Ruth. We don’t know, but there was a point where she declared herself to be a follower of God. We might call it conversion. She declared and affirmed her commitment to Naomi as well as Naomi’s God.

Aren’t you thankful for somebody like that? We need more Ruth’s in this world. I need a Ruth and I desire to be a Ruth. Our character and our response to a crisis matters. And that response, . . . it has the power to witness. Who’s with me? Who’s going to actively choose to follow God regardless of circumstances, work diligently through challenges without seeking immediate rewards, and maintain a humble, serving heart?
It’s time to commit.

Some of the greatest stories of fiction have this moment when all hope is lost. There is no way out, circumstances are beyond the control of the person, and the story seems to have ended here at this tragic point. I’m thinking of a classic like “Where’s Waldo?” (well maybe not a classic? but my kids loved them). You search through those pictures desperate to find this dude with glasses and at times frustrated, hopeless, and questioning your life choices. Finding Waldo is the goal but the journey is not always easy.

In their despair, mourning, and hopelessness Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth are at a crossroad. Everything they had planned and counted on was tragically taken away from them. They lost their husbands, their providers, protectors, and companions. Dreams, hopes, and future plans are gone. Naomi, the mother-in-law, encourages them to go back to their families. To go back to some form of security and the possibility of a new beginning. Naomi is broken with grief and feels the sting of bitterness having all that she loved stripped away from her. Feeling that God has punished and is against her, Naomi’s reaction is to isolate herself and push away the two women who love her.

If we stop here in this true story and ask ourselves: how would I react to a similar situation? Many of us have lost loved ones that were precious to us. We have gone down this road of grief and mourning, looking for answers and hope. Sometimes we have blamed God and lose the confidence that we have had in God’s love and provision. The key in these times is to lean into and trust God even more. This world is full of hurt and disappointment and God is involved in helping us through these difficult times. When faced with adversity, do I react with godly character or selfish pity? In verse 13 we see Naomi’s godly character bubbles to the surface as she is basically telling her daughters-in-law, “Go, for your sake, do what’s best for you and don’t worry about me.” In Naomi’s pain she still wanted what was best for her loved ones, even if it meant hardship for herself. Humility, kindness, and love were expressed in her darkest hour. What a great example for each of us, no matter how difficult our situation is or how hopeless we may become. Our reaction shouldn’t be to wallow in self-pity but to understand the pain is for a season then there will be healing.

Finding Waldo is always a relief and once found it is easy to see him the next time we look at the picture. We must understand that God is working even when we don’t see or understand His purposes. God never promised that we would have no trouble or pain in this life, but He did promise that He would never leave or forsake us. Maybe you are going through a difficult situation, be encouraged because God is involved and working for your benefit. Just like finding Waldo, it may not be obvious at first but He’s always there for us.

Anytime I hear or see the word “pivot”, my mind instantly goes to the episode of friends when they are moving the couch on the stairs. While pivoting often comes at a stressful or crucial time in our lives, the same was true for Ruth. We see this play out in today's passage as difficult choices were made by Naomi. We see in just this short passage multiple pivots being made.

“When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there,” Ruth 1:6.
Naomi went from being stuck in grief to taking action, she might not have had it all together herself in that moment, but she made a pivotal decision to go. As we continue on with this passage we see another pivotal moment in” verse 10.

“...We will go back with you to your people.”

This decision was a fork in the road choice; they could have stayed in Moab or step into the unknown of Judah. So many times, we too also come to a fork in the road decision, and we don’t know which way to go. We often depend on ourselves to choose rather than trusting in our faith and prayerfully consider what is best for us. There is example after example throughout this passage and throughout the Bible that make it clear that pivotal moments are necessary. We see that often we need to take that step of faith even before we are truly ready. Sometimes we need to set down the things that we carry around in order to move forward just like Naomi. Even though she was grieving, she decided that she wasn’t going to let that hold her back anymore. The million-dollar questions we must ask ourselves are these:

1. Am I at a pivotal moment in my journey of faith?
2. What step of faith or things do I need to set down so I can walk closer with God?

I still remember it like it was yesterday. We had arrived in West Branch at my parent’s cabin for a week of swimming, ice cream, late-night movies, games, and a ton of fun…that is until my parents received the fateful call. I was sitting in the living room across from the kitchen as that phone call came. One of my parent’s pastors was trying to get a hold of my aunt and uncle (who were also up north, but in their cabin across the road) to let them know that their son, my cousin, had gotten into a serious car accident. Time stood still. Everything changed in the blink of an eye.

What proceeded next was anything but encouraging! My dad sprinted across the road to tell my aunt and uncle. Together, they all got into a car and headed straight to the hospital which was an hour-and-a-half away. Sitting in stunned silence, we all began to pray quietly to ourselves. The next few hours felt like days as I begged God to spare my cousin’s life. That night, the sovereign Lord chose to take my cousin and his infant daughter to heaven. We were shocked and completely heart broken. This wasn’t happening…except it was.

Sometimes in life, the path that we have chosen changes! Sometimes, it leaves us devastated! This was exactly how the book of Ruth began. Because of a famine in the land, a man of Israel took his family into the nearby country of Moab. Then, surprisingly, the man died. The Bible doesn’t tell us the “how” or the “what,” but we can assume that this was NOT expected by his family. It’s one thing when an elderly man or woman dies; it’s a completely different thing when a man or woman in his or her prime of life dies. Naomi’s husband Elimelech has died.

Life went on, things got back to “normal,” then it happened again. At this point in the story Naomi had two Jewish sons who had married Moabite women. Then, disaster struck again! Both of Naomi’s sons died. Again, this was unexpected. She was left with two daughters-in-law. In the culture of that day, it was very different from today’s culture in regard to wealth distribution and “job opportunities.” If you were a woman without a husband to provide for you both physically and financially, it made you susceptible to thievery and physical abuse. What would Naomi and her daughters-in-law do? They were in a tough place.

It’s not a matter of “if” you are going to have to face disaster in your life, it’s a matter of “when!” We all struggle with the “unexpected!” In my life, I have experienced my cousin’s accident, my sister’s aneurysm, my student’s house fire, and other devastating moments. Just recently, we shockingly lost our dear friend, Toby Hubbard, who was instrumental in Emmanuel being able to adopt Great Lakes Baptist Temple. Life happens. What will you do when devastation “knocks at your door?”

One thing I don’t want to do is be the “spoiler” of this incredible story. You need to read how God provided for both Ruth and Naomi in supernatural ways. The fact is that he will do the same for you in difficult times. While you’re not guaranteed that he’ll remove the pain, God is always faithful to “fill in the cracks” in our hearts in these difficult times. His will is perfect, and I want to leave you with a few questions to ponder as devastation has been introduced but with hope on the way:

1. How do you view God when devastation strikes?
2. How can an eternal perspective give you encouraging hope?
3. What or who are you “holding onto” tighter than Jesus?
4. Are you prone to reacting in bitterness or responding in truth when tragedy strikes?

Week 1
Main Point and Overview:   

Can you imagine going through “that kind” of pain! You lose your husband, brother-in-law, and father-in-law all within a short period of time. In the culture of that day, women did not have the financial and physical opportunities that they have today. All of a sudden, comfort and contentment was “out the window” for these three ladies. They were now faced with the inevitable problem that they needed to “fend for themselves.” Not only had they lost the most important men in their lives, but now, they had to figure out how to avoid starvation. Sometimes in life, we make plans. Maybe it’s retirement plans, maybe it’s moving plans, maybe it’s a new profession plan; then, everything changes! We are left in a situation that we could never have anticipated, and we can feel the pressure of life as it squeezes the hope and joy right out of us. When these moments occur, what are we going to do? How are we going to handle the “crisis?” For Ruth, she decided to trust in a foreign God, one who she had not “grown up” serving. She decided to selflessly follow her mother-in-law back to Israel where Naomi once lived. She decided to take it “one day at a time” trusting in the God of her mother-in-law. In comparison, Naomi lost all hope. She saw her life as a disaster, and she sunk into a deep depression…at least initially. The story of Ruth is one of comparison and contrast. Ruth chose to “be better” while Naomi chose to “be bitter.” Each one of us is faced with the same “watershed moment” in times of crisis – will I trust God and keep moving forward, or will I spiral into agony and defeat? In all transparency, who could blame Naomi? She lost her Husband and her two sons in what seemed like a “moment’s notice.” She experienced excruciating pain that most people will never face. Even so, God had a plan for both her and her precious daughter-in-law. The lessons were just beginning. The opportunities were not that far behind. It’s really important that disciples of Jesus prepare themselves for the “storms of life.” While you cannot anticipate exactly what is going to happen, you can strengthen your resolve by placing your confidence in an unfailing God. Check out Ruth; she did it! It wasn’t easy, but it was possible…with a faithful and loving God!

“Do as I say and not as I do.” This statement frustrated me to no end when I was a child. You may not consider it, but children develop a sense of morality and fairness much earlier than you might think. I remember thinking to myself things like, “why is this thing okay for them but not for me?” Or “why should I have to do this when you never do?” Now that I have kids of my own, I am seeing that very same line of questioning from them. My youngest seems obsessed with fairness. “He got more dessert than me!”, is a classic and it may seem trivial, but what they are doing is spotting inconsistencies in the way I treat others. If we want them to develop a sense of integrity, we must show them what integrity looks like.

Titus 2:6-8 states, “Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” Setting an example for my kids is the most effective way to teach them how I want them to act. It’s not always easy though because I often make mistakes and act in a way I shouldn’t and they catch that every time. I regularly notice my wife and I’s behaviors being mimicked by our children and most of the time that is very cute and makes me proud but sometimes it can be a real eye opener. For instance, I tend to show affection to my wife by lightly picking on her, and she does the same thing to me, but a few days down the road I hear one of our kids repeat the same thing to her and it is clearly not okay. The mimicked behavior was no longer affectionate teasing but rather an insult meant to hurt. At that moment I realized that I was not setting a very good example as to how they should speak to their mother.

The way I treat my wife and daughter will be THE example to my children of how a man should conduct himself around women. The way I treat my sons will be THE example of how to carry yourself around other men. The time spent thinking about how my children perceive me is time well spent because it is my duty, alongside my wife, to teach them work ethic, dignity, and the importance of the words they choose to use. It is not the most exciting or glamorous job, and it can feel like a heavy load at times, but it does bear fruit to, as best as I can, be a consistent rock in the life of my loved ones. What I have had to realize is that teaching them does not mean that I am long winded. Teaching them is being that godly example in their lives, and if I must, I can use words.

Generational impact is SO very important! How we choose to live out our faith WILL make an impact whether good or bad. The hope is that we choose to live out our faith in a Christ-like manner so that we can be that example to our children, our children’s children, and to others outside of our little church at home. I am the woman I am today because I watched both of my parents live out their faith and I was taught by both how to seek God. They gave me the base to have the opportunity to encounter Jesus. In 2 Timothy 1:5 Paul is telling Timothy that he sees his true faith and that same faith was in Timothy’s grandmother and his mother.

Timothy’s grandmother Lois made an impact on her daughter, Eunice, and in turn they both made an impact on Timothy. Both women were following what the Lord had instructed parents to do way back in Old Testament Bible times. In Deut. 6:6-9 God instructed the Israelites to teach His word diligently to their children (and we are to ours) no matter what they were doing. They were instructed to teach them while they were hanging out at home, walking to wherever, when they were laying down and when they woke up. Not only were they to teach but they were to write it on their doorposts and on their gates. You know this was important because it was repeated in Deut. 11:18-20 and in vs 21 it says, “so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers…” When our children are young that is when they are the most impressionable which is why we need to start teaching them when they are young about what Jesus did for them and how we are to live. I have been using scripture with my kids since they were little to teach them about Jesus, about how we are to live and why we do what we do. I may not see the results of my labor until they are a bit older but that is okay because I know I did what was asked of me. We can see Timothy’s grandmother and mother followed this because of Timothy’s faith.

Our impact does not just stop with our own family; we are to be teaching/encouraging the younger generation at our church wherever we are. Titus 2 talks about this, it tells older men and women to set a godly example to the younger men and women so that they will know how to live. I know that I am who I am because I have had so many women throughout my life who have obeyed this passage. It is our job to make as big of an impact on our children and others so that they will find Christ and start their journey of being impactful. Let’s go out there and

I think we can all agree that enablement never leads to anything good. As the fun uncle growing up with lots of nieces and nephews, I could enable the kids to do something, but 99% of the time they took it way too far and either got hurt or got in trouble. We can take it a step further and talk about how not correcting issues leads to enablement, the type that I believe we often think about when it comes to this word.

We see in 1 Samuel 2 that Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were abusing their priestly roles. They were taking the best portions of the sacrifices by force; they had immoral behaviors. The Bible tells us they showed contempt for the offerings that were meant for God. Everyone knew this behavior was wrong, even Eli spoke to them about these things. Eli called their actions out, but the boys did not listen. This right here shows that enablement brings ruin. Eli demonstrates that when we try to correct poor behavior with passive correction, it often becomes enablement, which then turns into ruin over the long haul. We see this play out for Eli and his family as a man of God delivers judgement from God to Eli. We see in this judgement that the family line will lose its role as priest, and Eli’s son would die on the same day. When he allowed bad behaviors to continue, Eli’s enablement of his sons showed that he honored his sons above God. As a parent myself, I encourage us all to remember that sin is sin and we are to call it out in our children. When we ignore sinful and/or destructive behaviors or habits we often allow or teach our kids that it's okay to continue on. I've heard it said that what you tolerate, you participate in and eventually you share in its consequences. That saying, I believe, rings true in the story of Eli and his children. Let us be encouraged that when we call out bad behavior and sins, but do it in love, we are helping our children grow in their walk but most importantly we are bringing honor and glory to our heavenly father.

Let’s be honest here, no parent loves to discipline their kids. Quite frankly, it can be the most challenging part of parenting. However, discipline is not just beneficial; it’s essential. In Proverbs 3:11-12, it says, “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” God shows us that discipline isn’t the opposite of love, it’s proof of it. Understanding this will change things for you. When we start to see discipline this way, it will stop feeling like punishment and start looking more like love in action.

So, how do we actually live this out and use discipline to guide our children towards God? Arguably, the most important way to do this is through spiritual correction. Spiritual correction in parenthood is about shaping our children’s hearts, rather than just managing their behavior. It’s teaching them to understand God’s truth and helping them to learn that discipline comes from a place of love, not anger. This won’t always come naturally. This is something I’ve had to learn (and am still learning) in my own parenting. It can be difficult as an adult to learn something you didn’t have modeled for you when you were younger. Growing up, my parents did not teach us to see discipline as a form of love. Discipline in our house was that if you did wrong, you received a consequence. We didn’t get the opportunity to be shown a better way to do things, we just received the consequences and were expected not to do it again. When I became a mom, I knew I wanted to discipline differently. But it wasn’t just disciplining differently; it was using a calmer tone, taking the time to teach her the correct behavior, and showing her grace.

Most importantly, teaching her that we can show God’s love through discipline. It is our job as parents to raise our kids to love God. To give them the example of what it means to have a relationship with Christ. Not just occasionally praying, reading your Bible, or taking them to church on special occasions. It is putting Jesus first in EVERYTHING you do! There have been times when I have thought, “It would be nice if parenting came with a manual!” But the thing is, we have something better! God’s word gives us everything we need to raise our children to know, love, and serve the Lord faithfully. 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.”

Ever since I was a child, I knew that I wanted to be a mom. As I got older, I had a deep desire that I knew God had put on my heart to bear children. Our journey wasn’t easy, but I sit here writing this after putting my beautiful 8 month old son to bed.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NIV

This verse is clear that from the moment a child is conceived, they should be brought up with Jesus. Not just hearing about Him; but seeing Him in our actions, serving Him as a family, growing in His Word, and loving Him. We prayed relentlessly over our baby boy from the minute we found out about him! Now, we read Him his Bible every night. We tell him how much Jesus loves him and that He died on the cross to save him. Although those things are great, they’re not everything.

Even though my son is only 8 months old and probably doesn’t understand, when I get overwhelmed or frustrated, I have a conviction to pray about it and even ask both him and Jesus for forgiveness. As weird as that sounds, I want to model repentance and forgiveness to him for his entire life. The goal is to be a reflection of Jesus.

See, we have the greatest opportunity with our children. It takes more than just reading our Bibles and praying as a family. It takes commitment to fellowship, worshipping, serving, repenting, being humble, continual teaching and directing, discipline, and genuine love for Jesus.

Our kids are watching our every move. We will never be perfect. But I try to remind myself, sometimes hourly, that the way that I respond to someone is all meant to be a reflection of Jesus. Whether it’s someone driving poorly on the road or the impatience I have at the grocery store. Choosing a hobby over reading my Bible, or the way I respond to my husband when I’m upset, are all meant to be a reflection of Jesus.

We are the biggest influence in our kids’ lives. No matter how many hours they spend at school, sports, or even church, we have the most time and influence with them. Don’t take that for granted. The goal is that if we raise them up to see, hear, and know Jesus, that they will grow up and not depart from it. Remember, your kids are going to make mistakes! Show them grace and love them unconditionally; as Christ has done with us.

I remember when I was younger my parents and the church we were in really pushed for us to memorize God’s Word! These verses say to “impress them on your children.” Knowing God’s Word is so important! This is one command that all Christian children should know! Love the Lord your God with all that you are! It is repeated many times in this passage to show how important it is to know the Lord’s command. The Bible tells us to meditate on the Word. Teaching this principle to our children is so important! Knowing the Word of God by heart can help them as they grow. We are to go to God’s Word in time of need! It should be something that is entirely a part of who we are! It is a command to teach God’s Word to our children. I have 3 children that I want to grow up to be successful. It is common in our culture that we want our children to grow up and have as good or a realistically better life than the one we had. That is what all parents want! We want our children to be happy, to be successful, to have a good job, to find a good spouse. These are things that we as parents see as important. We have to understand what this really means. What does it mean to be successful? What does it mean to find a “good spouse?” This is why God’s Word is so essential! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Bible is our source of understanding what it is God has for us. Teach your children Scripture! Help them to understand what it truly means to be successful according to what God has shown us in His Word! God wants us to understand that we are to love and follow Him! This is the base of our faith! This is what we are to teach our children! This is how we show them what it means to be successful in the eyes of the one who created us! God is so good and we are as parents commanded and obligated to teach our children what God has done for us and what He has for us to do. Teach time and time again what God has for us as parents to teach our children.

Raising your children to follow the Lord is NOT a small responsibility, in fact, it is the greatest responsibility a person has in regard to influence. You are a steward for God of the most precious gift. How will you handle this incredible opportunity? Thankfully, the Bible is filled with tremendous truths that can both safeguard your family and inspire them to impact others for the Kingdom of God! They are all centered around creating a “culture of lasting faith.” In other words, your kids will NOT grow to love God if he is simply a “part” of their lives; he needs to “drive” their lives. He needs to be Savior AND Lord of their lives. So, that means that you must be intentional in your raising of your kids to see this happen. It begins with spiritual repetitions – actions that remind your children on a regular basis of who God is, what he came to do, and what he expects from them. It continues with spiritual connections – actions that teach your children both accountability and purposeful direction. We all make mistakes. Let the mistakes that your kids make be “spiritual markers” in their lives where lessons are learned and paths are redirected. Finally, you must give your kids a spiritual example – someone who is faithful to God in private and public, passionate about the Gospel, and driven to live a holy life in front of his kids. The blessings are immense as long as we take the role of “parent” seriously. It’s time that the American church stops “scheduling” Jesus in their family and starts “serving” Jesus with their family. It’s time that the American church stops “going to church” with their family and starts “being the church” impacting their family. We cannot afford to allow everything else in our kids’ lives to take precedent over the priorities of the Gospel. Our children are watching what we value the most, and their futures are going to be shaped by our present obsessions. So, what’s it going to be dad and mom? Are you willing to intentionally raise your kids to love the Lord Jesus Christ? It must be more than simply “going to church” with them! They need intentional direction from you. They need a model of character and consistency to follow. They need timeless truths from God’s Word!

I remember a night shortly after my wife and I moved to Ortonville that was a transition point for me. One of our favorite things is to sit in our backyard late at night around a bonfire. People always come up with interesting discussions around a bonfire and ours often divulged into talks about God. At this point we did not really belong to a church, and I remember making a statement to the effect, “I think it is far more important that a person digs deeply into God’s Word than to claim membership at a church.” At which point I realized I was being a hypocrite because I was not digging. I had read the bible quite a bit in the past but had been admittedly slacking. I certainly couldn’t say I had read the whole thing and as an avid reader my pride was not okay with that. It’s funny how God uses our flaws to His glory. So, I set out to correct that and see what I was missing.

In Luke 14, Jesus has a moment when he turns to the crowd who was following him and says some things that might not give you the warm and fuzzies. He discusses how “discipleship” does not simply mean following him. Discipleship often costs you something. No one wants to hear that though. The rate of willingness unfortunately drops when people are told that action is required and with this passage that action looks drastic. There are a couple of illustrations in our passage. One is of a builder who sets out to build some monumental structure and the other is a war-time king getting ready for battle. Both illustrations were used to emphasize the importance of self-evaluation. As a disciple I must take inventory of everything in stock so I can find and purge all the spoiled goods that do not aid me in truly following Jesus. Did I skimp on the materials needed to lay a solid spiritual foundation upon which I intend to build my family? The world is waging a serious spiritual battle against all of us, especially our kids. Do worldly influences outnumber the Godly disciplines in my life, or have I been suited with the full armor of God so that I can defend my family from all the things seeking to tear it apart?

This self-appraisal is not easy, and it is not comfortable. It should cost you something. It should damage your pride. It might even invoke some fear or uncertainty about what your family thinks or how it operates. Jesus calls us to love him above ALL else. The cool thing about that is that when I do give my whole heart to Jesus, he allows me to love my family better. Loving Him the most does not mean loving them less. Loving Him most reorders my heart’s priorities and allows me to serve them purely out of love, instead of serving them in order to get something out of it.

That night around the fire, God allowed me to see that it was me that needed to change and not my family. I didn’t need my wife to dig into that bible with me, and I didn’t need my kids to act better, for me to be the leader they needed me to be. I needed to love Christ above all things. I needed to immerse myself in his Word and seek his wisdom and guidance in all that I do. I needed to be a Disciple for Jesus.

John 15:16-17 tells us that we didn’t choose Jesus but that He chose us so that we would go and bear fruit and that our fruit would abide so that whatever we asked, the Father would give to us. When I read through just these verses, I am not gonna lie, I had a hard time at first understanding how the verses even related to us being homeless without Jesus. As I studied them more and prayed about it, it all started to come together.

I remember back in the day in gym class when it was time to pick teams for whatever sport we were playing and the anxiousness I would feel about whether I would be picked or how soon I would be picked, it didn’t feel good. When I wouldn’t get picked until last it would cause me to feel bad about myself, like I wasn’t good enough or cool enough. I am sure at some point in your own life you may have felt something similar. Thankfully when it comes to Jesus, we don’t have to worry about being picked at all, He picks us first.

Jesus is showing us, by Him choosing us, He is giving us a spiritual home. Away from Him we are spiritually homeless. When we were created, we were created with a purpose and that purpose is grounded in Christ, He is our home. When we choose Christ, we are accepting the invitation to be adopted as His sons or daughters. Without Christ our purpose is unclear, and we end up wandering around with no home to keep us grounded. Without Him, we feel like we don’t belong or feel like I did back in gym class. That is no way to live.

Choosing to abide in Him, to follow His way, and to live in His will is how we bear fruit and can show others they don’t have to be homeless anymore either. I know that I am SO thankful that I have a home in Christ and that I get to share the joy of having a home in Christ with my kids, my family and friends, or anyone else that needs to hear that they don’t have to continue being homeless without a purpose.

By now you should know that I am a huge Michigan State fan, such a fan that you will never see me cheering for the school down the road. To some that may seem crazy but let’s be honest, the rivalry goes both ways in a lot of fans minds. However, I still love Michigan fans, I believe that we can come together and support the cheering of Ohio State losing at any given time. I say all this to make this point; there are far more important things greater than the teams we cheer for. So often we can get caught up with the meaningless things in life that it causes our sinful flesh to not want to be a part of things together. When we allow that to happen, we miss out on truly loving each other.

The Bible tells us in John 15 verse 12: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

Jesus has called us to model our love for others based on the way he loves us! This means we do not hold differences against each other. We must be able to put them aside and LOVE!!! As we continue reading in John 15, Jesus tells us in verse 15: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

We have the blessing of having a Savior who shares these commands with us, he calls us to love each other and not ourselves. Once again, we get so caught up in loving ourselves rather than sharing the love that Christ shows us! Think about this for a moment, if Jesus loved you the way you love others, would you follow him? We are called to love because he first loved us! We are loveless without Christ, and as believers we have the power to love as Christ does. Now, I know it may be hard at times, and you have heard it preached many times at Emmanuel. Being a Christian does not make your life easier. We are still sinners, the difference is we put our hope and trust in Jesus Christ, and we surrender our lives to him. Let us take time this week and beyond and really focus on this simple question. Am I loving others the way Christ loves me?

John 15:12: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You’ve probably heard that song, right? It’s a classic in kid’s ministry.
While the song is catchy and teaches us what the Bible says the fruit of the Spirit is, are we actually living it out in our day-to-day lives? How do we move from simply knowing the fruit of the Spirit to intentionally living it out with our families and within ourselves? Before we answer that, we have to take an inward look at our hearts. Jesus gives us a powerful picture of this in Matthew 13.

In this story of the parable of the sower, the seed represents God’s word, and the soil represents our hearts. As the seeds were being scattered, some fell on the path, some fell on rocky ground with a little soil, some fell on thorns, and some fell on good soil. The path refers to someone who hears God’s word but does not understand it or accept it, allowing it to be snatched away. The rocky ground refers to someone who hears God’s word, but since they have no root, it only lasts a short time. The seed that fell among the thorns refers to someone who hears God’s word but worries and the pleasures of life crowd out God’s word, letting life take priority over spiritual growth. The seed that fell on good soil refers to someone who hears God’s word, understands it, and lives it out. Now we have to ask ourselves honestly, are our hearts truly in a place to allow God’s word to take root? Because what we allow to grow in our hearts will be reflected in our homes, and the fruit that is truly lasting comes from a life rooted in Christ.

In the last two years my husband and I have stepped into the role of guardians over our niece and nephew, while also raising our daughter. And I’ll be honest; it has stretched me in ways that have really challenged my patience. My lack of patience then turns to frustration, and I’ve seen how quickly that spills over. Because when I lead with frustration, it multiplies. What becomes difficult in moments like these is then trying to turn around and teach them how not to let their lack of patience turn into frustration. But the hard truth is, what we model becomes what they mimic. And even though we won’t get it right every time, we can step back and rely on God for help during those moments. As we live rooted in Christ, our kids will see that relationship and will begin to follow that example too.

It all comes back to this: what it means to abide in Christ. Jesus says in John 15:7-8, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

What would it look like for you to grow deeper with Christ this week? Maybe it’s setting aside time each day to be in His word, being committed to coming to church, or simply being more intentional about praying in your day. The best thing you can do for your family is to love God more than you love them. When you do, His spirit will produce in you the things your family needs most from you every single day.our heart to seek Him.