Ruth 2:8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

There is something in a Dad’s heart that loves to hear his child say, “Can I help?” Even though the job may be too difficult, I just love it when my girls want to help with something I am doing.

I can’t help but wonder if God feels the same way. We know that His work is so far beyond our abilities and comprehension, but I have a feeling that He loves to get the hard pieces set in place and then allows us to come in and work beside Him. I know this, because I do the same for my children.

God is completely in charge of everything, and He knows the finished product He is working on. In His forethought, He is moving all of history toward a grand and magnificent end to fulfill His divine purpose. More times than not, He uses ordinary people to accomplish this. This is where you and I come in. Every day we are given wonderful opportunities to be involved in what God is doing. Our willingness, coupled with obedience and a divine plan, are the recipe for a great future and a happy ending.

A perfect example of how God uses people to accomplish His plan is the story of Boaz & Ruth. Boaz had no idea that his decisions were playing right into the plan that God had all along; not just a plan for Boaz, but also for Ruth and even Naomi. What God had set in place to accomplish certainly wasn’t obvious to them at the time, but what an amazing end to the story. We can see that God’s unseen hand was working behind the scenes in Boaz’s decision to help Ruth in her time of need. Boaz, by his upright and kindhearted actions, unknowingly played a part that would ultimately fulfill God’s plan to place Ruth in the lineage of Jesus, the ultimate “kinsman redeemer”.

You can count on the providence of God in your life. It may never come down and strike you like a bolt of lightning, but I assure you that God is there in the background just longing for you to get involved in His plan for you. He has a plan and purpose for each of us that plays into His divine providence. And just so you know, His plan always brings you to a happy ending!

Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

At the age of 12, I was convinced that the use of four-letter words somehow increased my manliness. Because of this revelation, a few of my closest friends and I used profanity often and without restraint – unless our parents were within earshot. We were committed to our cause of becoming a man, and somehow persuaded each other that this was a right of passage for us. However, the reality was quite different. We were not men; we were mere boys with a rebellious spirit and a heart condition.

Now, most 12-year-old boys have absolutely zero heart issues… physical heart issues that is. Though our physical hearts were just fine, our spiritual hearts spoke loudly that there was an issue deep inside. This came to a head when I was spending the night at a friend’s house, and his mom overheard us practicing our “manly vocabulary”. Our version of manliness did not sit well with his mother, and we learned a hard lesson that night. Unfortunately, it was our tongues that played the much-despised role of being a tattletale in our own lives.

Jesus said that we speak “out of the abundance of the heart”. In other words, our speech often tells on us, revealing attitudes and thoughts we would rather not have others know about. While I was finishing up my degree in college, one of the classes I had to take was an in-depth study of diseases of the respiratory tract. Most of these conditions also cause severe halitosis, or bad breath! In the same way those diseases produce halitosis, sinful hearts produce unpleasant language.

My friends and I needed our mouths washed out with soap, but more than that, we needed our hearts washed as well. My 12-year-old rebellious spirit had shown up in my mouth, and if we are not careful, the attitudes we have as adults will show up there as well. Anger, pride, fear, sensuality, and a host of other sins we keep in our hearts will eventually show up in the words we speak.

Let us keep in mind, all talk is heart-talk. Train your heart to grow in Jesus, and your words will reflect it. Neglect your heart, and your very own tongue will tell on you every time.

Exodus 14:13 (NLT) But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.

Most people do not like the feeling that fear brings. I know that some like the adrenaline rush of a roller coaster, or the feeling you get when something startles you – but I am talking about real fear. The kind that causes you to lose sleep and can at times make you behave in an irrational manner. No one likes that kind of fear.

Moses had lead the Israelites out of Egypt only to find themselves standing in front of the Red Sea, an impassable body of water. Behind them was the mighty Egyptian army with all its weapons and chariots. Now they were stuck between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. This reality caused them to lose faith with each passing minute. Moses, with no real idea how this was going to turn out, stood there with nothing but his faith in God. Given the reality of the situation, Moses knew that the only way out was for God to come through for them once again.

When you can see that God is your only hope, you are more likely to trust Him. Far too often, the little things that we do with our own strength get us bogged down. In some ways, it is easier for us to trust God for the big problems of life because we know that only God can get us through it. Moses, in this dire situation, spoke for God when he said to Israel, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.”

Crisis will come in life and bring with it despair that has the ability to cripple us with fear. That same fear will try and convince you to run away and retreat. Impatience will convince you to do something, anything but just watch. Being presumptuous will talk you into jumping into the sea before God is ready to part it with a miracle. But I give you the same words Moses gave the Israelites “Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.”  Practice standing still in the face of fear. Our great and faithful God is always right on time! What better place to be than standing on the front row watching a miracle happen in your life.

Romans 2:15 (NLT) They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

I love technology! I feel better just admitting it out loud. Recently, while reading online, I came across an article explaining the new technological advancements in automobiles. The article described new cars with a variety of options like built in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS with real time weather and traffic updates, and much more. But what really caught my attention was the advancements in safety. Things like lane detection and accident avoidance are just amazing! Many new cars today will not only let you know when you are drifting out of your lane, but some will even steer you back into the lane where you need to be. The sensors can detect when you are about to have a collision, and it has the ability to apply the breaks for you in case you do not see the danger ahead. I will say it again, I love technology!

After reading the article I began to think about the conscience that God has placed inside of each of us. Paul talked about this when writing to the church at Rome. He begins to explain this in Romans 2:14 (NLT) Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. Paul was saying that all of us have a conscience, and that conscience is there to guide us in obeying God’s law even if we have never heard it. Just like the sensors for lane detection and accident avoidance in new cars, our conscience is there to keep us on the right path and help us avoid collisions in life – but it only works if we pay attention to it.

Even with the newest of advancements, you can still override the sensors in the new cars. You can simply choose to take the wheel and turn into the other lane with traffic coming at you. In other words, the alarms can be going off telling you that you need to correct your course, and you can still choose to drive off the road. The same is true of our conscience. You can ignore it long enough for it to lose its influence on you. Living a life without a conscience is a dangerous place to be. Without our conscience being active, we will slowly drift away from God. I know this to be a fact because it has happened to me in my life. There was a time when I stopped listening to my conscience, and it caused me to drift away from Him. Although this was many years ago when I was a teenager, I still remember the impact it had on my life. I never want to return to the place where my conscience does not guide me.

We should be thankful that God has given us a conscience to keep us on the right path in life. One of my favorite proverbs is Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Let your God-given conscience guide you in your day-to-day life. We have advanced, built-in technology to keep us on the right path. Choose to trust in the Lord with all your heart, and He will keep you on the right path. Make a choice today to live a Conscience Life!

James 1:5-6 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Certain situations in life bring with them the need for proper protocol. For example, if you happened to run into the mayor of your city or the governor of your state, you would follow the proper protocol for greeting them. You would use their elected position and title in your greeting. “Good morning Governor Haslam. It is very nice to meet you.” There is proper protocol for how you enter or exit the presence of the Queen of England. It is considered breaking protocol and extremely rude to refuse to stand in the presence of Her Majesty.

So it should come as no surprise that the Word of God makes it clear that there is a protocol for entering the presence of God. We see in Hebrews chapter 11, that lack of faith brings with it an impossibility. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. God wants us to be fully devoted to Him, and He becomes upset when our hearts are filled with doubt or unbelief, or when we become critical.

James tells us that when we ask God for wisdom, proper protocol requires us to ask for wisdom “in faith” (1:6). God is pleased when we approach Him with the measure of faith we have. He does not require our neighbor’s measure of faith; the faith you possess is good enough. Nonetheless, protocol does require faith in God and His ability.

So leave doubt at the door, and follow the right protocol. Approach God with your heart of faith, and He will be happy to provide all the wisdom you need. Let’s face the truth; we all need more wisdom for this life.

Philippians 1:20 (NLT) For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.

Expectations! Without question, we all have them. We expect people to be nice to us. We expect to have successful careers, good friendships, and marriages that are filled with love and laughter. We expect to have good health and the same waist size for most of our lives with very little effort on our part to keep it that way! However, what do we do when life doesn’t live up to our expectations? In Philippians 1, Paul shows us how to handle this problem. He faced shattered expectations in people, the church, and his future, yet he remained surprisingly positive.

Paul was stuck in prison – not the easiest place to write a letter of encouragement! When we get stuck in a tough situation, a challenging marriage, or receive news that is hard to hear, it’s easy to get discouraged. Yet Paul was amazingly positive. He realized that his suffering helped to advance the gospel. Philippians 1:12 (NLT) And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.

Maybe life hasn’t lived up to our expectations; maybe some in our lives have been huge disappointments. Most likely, Paul expected others to encourage him. Instead, some were actually happy that he was in jail because they were jealous. So how did Paul respond to their “jealousy and rivalry”? Philippians 1:18 (NLT) But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.

Maybe your financial future seems to be a little uncertain right now. Maybe your job is questionable, your health is in crisis, your kids are not living right, or your marriage is a battlefield.

Paul knew that at any moment Nero could give the order for him to be executed, yet he makes one of the boldest statements in the Bible during this time of his life! Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. I wonder if we could adopt Paul’s outlook on life. In life or in death, what matters is for Jesus Christ to be glorified!

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Daddy, can I help you?” It was my four-year-old daughter, Emery, who was watching me carry containers of Christmas decorations down from the attic. I said, “Sure, Emery,” and she picked up a small rubber tote and headed towards the living room. About half-way down the stairs, obviously exhausted, she looked up and said, “Daddy, I can’t carry this anymore, it’s too heavy.” Now, I didn’t say, “Listen, sweetie, you started this, so pick up that container right now and finish what you started!” I’m not going to be that cruel to her! I took the container out of her hands because I knew it was too heavy for her to handle. As her dad, I understood what her limits were and helped her carry the load.

I am so glad our heavenly Father knows our limits as well and comes to help us out in the middle of life’s troubles. I know all too well how hard it is to stick it out during difficult times when life seems far too heavy and there is no end in sight. Most of the time we feel like giving up… like we can’t go on. However, the Word of God reminds us that “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” I want you to know that this verse is talking about more than just temptations. In the original Greek, the word translated as “temptation” actually means all kinds of trials that come our way in life.

Do you ever feel like you’re in the middle of trials almost every day? The trouble with problems is that they have the ability to drain us of our  emotionally, physically, and spiritual strength. That’s when our enemy likes to launch his attack. When we are at our weakest, he bothers us with thoughts like: “How could a God of love allow this to happen to me”.

In our down times, and when our load has reached its limit, let us remember that one of God’s names is Jehovah Jireh, my provider. He always lives up to His name, and He stands ready to provide for us until He has finished His work in the trial. He will give us a peace that passes all understanding as we trust and rely on Him. He gives wisdom when we ask for it so we understand better what we are going through. He gives us the assurance that He will never leave us nor forsake us; He is a very present help in our times of troubles.

So, keep your head up! Our trials and troubles have not gone unnoticed by the One who comes to help when it seems as though it is too much to bear. The God who knows your limit promises to limit your load!

 

Psalms 73:23 (NLT) Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.

One of the things I believe most parents consider to be a great joy is holding our children’s hands. We do it to keep them safe while crossing the street, in a busy parking lot, or to keep them from getting lost in a crowd at the mall. Whenever they stumble or trip, we hold their little hands tighter to keep them from falling down. By holding their hand, we have the ability to keep them safe and headed in the right direction.

This is what God would do for us every day if we would allow Him. Inevitably, there are stumbling blocks and potholes that trip us up on the pathway of life. That’s why it’s easy for us to identify with the psalmist who said; “But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.” Psalms 73:2 (NLT).

We all face issues in this life that threaten to make us stumble. For the psalmist, seeing the prosperity of the wicked caused him to question the goodness of God, but God grabbed his hand and reassured him that everything was going to be okay. God wanted him to realize that the wicked do not really prosper. True prosperity was found in the realization that God was always with him, holding his hand: “you hold my right hand”. God reminded the psalmist, that He would also guide him through life. “You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.” Psalms 73:24 (NLT). We also see in this verse that God will lead us with His counsel to a “glorious destiny”.  His desire is to guide us to heaven to be with Him.

So, next time you trip and stumble in life, remember that the hand of God is holding your hand and guiding you through this life. He will lead us all the way to our eternal home in heaven!

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

I want to be completely honest with you; I struggle with running out of patience sometimes. Why is it that patience disappears when we are late for an appointment, or when we are caught in Christmas shopping traffic? Where does patience go when we rush to the “15 items or less” line at the store, only to find someone in front of us with 19 items!

I feel that when I am being forced to wait, it only intensifies the stress in my day and causes my fuse to be shortened. When this happens, I not only fail to be patient, but I prevent God’s Spirit from working in my life.

Patience is not just a virtue, but according to Galatians 5, it is a fruit of the Spirit. This means that when we lose our patience, we reveal the sour fruit of our hearts rather than representing Jesus and His goodness. Since He is a patient God, our loss of patience causes us to miss the opportunity to show the love of God to the world around us.

When we display impatience, it only demonstrates that we are more concerned with our own agendas than the needs and struggles of others around us. So, let’s all take a deep breath, and turn our focus away from ourselves. Even in the stressful times, we can look and see that others around us are important too. We have never laid eyes on anyone that God loves less than He loves us. We are all special to Him, and patience gives us the privilege of sharing the fruit of His Spirit with others around us.

Joshua 2:11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

 Have you ever wondered why Rahab allowed the Israelite spies to come into her house? What was it that gave her the courage to name the God of Israel as her own God? How is it that this prostitute from another country, came to know about the God of Israel?

Her revelation of God came about by the stories she had heard concerning the reality and power of Him. Rahab was obviously struggling with immorality and poor life choices, but her heart was drawn to God after she heard these amazing stories about Him. We see this in the very words she used in talking to the spies in Joshua 2:10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

Under the circumstances, the fortified city of Jericho would have been almost impossible to conquer. But when we read this account in the scriptures, we see that the city became vulnerable because of the stories that were being told of God’s power. Long before the Israelites arrived, the self-sufficiency, pride, and arrogance of this city had dissolved in fear when faced with those who belonged to the God they had heard so much about. Even within the walls of this great city, the stories of God lead to one heart being turned that ended up playing a strategic role in the ultimate victory over Jericho.

We should take note of the power we posses in us when we tell the stories of God’s greatness in our lives, and how He has done so many wonderful things for us. You never know whose heart may be ready to respond! The next great victory just may depend on us sharing our personal story of God.