My thoughts from my time in Ruth

Mandy and I started reading Ruth together last week and what He taught me through these 4 little chapters has been huge for me. So I start in 1...Ruth has lost everything...her husband...father-in-law...brother-in-law...and now has been given the option to return to her home with her family. Her sister-in-law does just that...I mean, who wants to head to a foreign land with a mother-in-law that changes her own name and is definitely not handling her losses well at all...i mean, who really changes their own name and wallows (you like that word) in their...woe is me crap...well, that would be naomi here. And because ruth is so focused on Dad and not herself...she tells naomi...where you go, i will go...where you stay, i will stay...your people will be my people...your Dad will be my Dad...and i love how the write says that ruth was determined to go. i don't know about you...but honestly, i am not sure that i would have done that. And then the HS asks me, kendall...can you say that to anyone in your life right now...can you say that to Me? That you love Me enough to go wherever...stay wherever...call My people yours...and only love Me...can you rid yourself of all the other things in your life...and be so determined to follow me?

Then in the next chapter, ruth heads out to the fields to try to find some work...not only does she find work, she works all day and only takes A break...and when boaz sees/hears this, he invites her to eat with him. And tells her...may The L repay you for what you have done...may you be richly rewarded by The L, Dad of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge! ANd i love this picture...of everything we do, we are under His Wings...covered by the vastness of His Outstretched Arms...protected by His Hands...

And the next chapter was exactly what i needed to hear last week...so naomi tells ruth that she needs to go lay at the feet of boaz...to basically offer herself to him...good idea? I think not...i mean, back in the day doing that...gave the man the right to do whatever to and with you...but because ruth was listening to Dad and recognized naomi as her superior...someone to respect...and honor...no matter how illogical the ideal was...she did it in obedience...and guess what...those Wings of Dad's were outstretched over her...He completely took care of her...to the point that when boaz wakes, he finds favor with her. This just reminded me that no matter how ridiculous i might think something is that my boss says or does...that i have been called to be under him...respect him...and that I serve a Dad that is only interested in bringing His Name glory and giving me His best!

And then I love when boaz says that all of my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character...um....how long has ruth been in this country and already everyone knows her to be a woman of noble character? Seriously...i want that! And I had been reading the last chapter in prov...about noble women...and looking at the different attributes of a woman of noble character...and not trying to obtain these for an earthly husband...but so that My Dad will look at me and say that I lack nothing of value...that He has full confidence in me because all He sees in me is a reflection of Himself. That i am clothed in strength and dignity...oh and my favorite...that i will laugh at the days to come. There have been days since i have been on the field that i honestly thought...i am not going to laugh again...i dont get the humor of these people (for example, at my school, we were watching this movie and i promise you...the dumbest things had all of my teachers and another M rolling...i looked at mandy and was like...are they seriously laughing at this...and am i the only one who doesnt find this funny!)...what if my people dont get my AMAZING sense of humor...my partner is void of humor...and i can only laugh at myself/with myself for so long!! But look...He tells me here that I will laugh a the days to come...what a blessing...and how i long for my words to be full of His wisdom and that when people come to me, they receive faithful instructions because I am so in tune with Him. And i think of all the amazing women in my life...adn think, oh for one day for someone to call me noble...to say these things about me...because of the amazing refining process that He is doing in my life...how freakin awesome!!

so i head back to ruth...and just ask that one day that His characteristics consume me so that when these people look at me...even though i have only been in country for a little bit...but that they could say the same things about me. And the last chapter...so boaz desperately wants ruth...i mean without a shadow of a doubt wants to save naomi's family name by taking ruth to be all his...but what does he do? he takes this amazing woman and follows the law...by presenting her to the kinsmen redeemer. I mean, he doesnt want to do this...he wants to be the kinsmen redeemer for her and this family...but he is obedient. And because of his obedience, the kinsmen redeemer gives him the desires of his heart. Whta a beautiful picture of obedience!! Our Kinsmen Redeemer is there waiting for us to do the same. He knows our desires and wants...and is asking us to obediently lay those things at His Feet. So that He can do just what His Name says...redeem us...rescue us from ourselves and all that is mediocre...and give us all that is Him...all that is AMAZING...all that is INCREDIBLE!! Wow...why do i keep taking back all of the things that I lay at His Feet each morning...why don't i just leave them there with Him...My Kinsmen Redeemer? I am an idiot...that is why!! And so small that i cannot see/comprehend anything...

And then I love how the chapter ends, with naomi's friends telling her thanks to Dad for redeeming you...for you now have a grandson...for your life is complete...and then the chapter ends with the geneology...how because of ruth's obedience to go back with naomi...to do what she asked...to be so determined to follow hard after Him...that because of all this...her child...would be the lineage of how one of the greatest kings in the world, david comes from...which in turn leads to The Greatest King...The Only King! All because of her obedience in something that most would consider small things...but the HS has shown me how those small obedient steps lead to greatness. I guess the What About Bob quote bets fits here...baby steps...baby steps to the throne!