Category Archives: Bible Thoughts

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ruth Summary

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

This brought me to mind of being brought out of darkness – into the Kingdom of His dear son.
We’ve just left the Christmas season – and this seems to be a beautiful declaration of what has occurred to Ruth through Naomi!

Isaiah 9:2 – The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.
2 Corinthians 4:6 – For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

I found these verses in one place – at Knowing Jesus – 13 Bible Verses about From Darkness to Light.

Ruth 2
This brought to mind God’s provision –

Ps 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Philipians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Ruth sought the Kingdom of God, and He supplied!

Luke 12:31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Ruth 3
This was a little crazy, but it did bring to mind that God orchestrates the events of human life in order to bring about His plan. His ways are not our ways! This is a warning to not judge – even if I think I can judge the behavior!

Isaiah 55:8-9
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I get so stuck in my own perceived “right and wrong” that I can miss God’s voice.
That is NOT saying that I believe that anything goes for a Christian – follower of Christ!
Ruth did NOT go to the threshing floor out of lasciviousness, and seduction – she went out of obedience, and in the anointing of the Lord. They DID avoid all appearance of evil – and they did NOTHING sinful.

I don’t know how this plays out in the life of a Christian. I do know that I need to let God be bigger than my ideas of HIM, in order for HIM to do HIS work in my life. Pick up a hitchhiker? speak to a homeless person? spend time with a Wiccan? Comfort a homosexual? If God says so – if it is for God’s work, and showing God’s love – we have to be open to HIS direction.
My hardest sinner to handle? The liar.

Leviticus 19:11 ‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.

Rev 21:8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

I try very hard not to lie.

Matthew 7:1-5
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

This is a hard lesson for me. I feel that this sin is a simple thou shalt not.
And yet – I have some difficulty with sin – even this one at times!

But when I need to look at the beam in my own eye – I go to these verses:

Exodus 20
1 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Then, for good measure, I can add this one in:

Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

If that is not enough to humble me, I look at Matthew 5, 6, & 7. Galatians 5, Titus, Romans – and on and on and on.
I can only ask others to join me on this journey – and share with them the experiences I’ve had – and support them in their walk with Jesus.

Ruth 4

From a legal perspective – Obed was Naomi’s son – to redeem Elimelech’s land. Which meant that nothing financially was beneficial to Boaz.
But in Biblical history – it’s through Boaz’s line that Obed’s lineage is named, as well as Jesus’s. Elimelech was not mentioned in the genealogies. Only Boaz, the son of Rahab!

This family has been through much torment – and I get a sense of PEACE – that transcends the story!

Philipians 4:6-7
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

Grace –

2 Corinthians 2:8-9
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written: “He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.”

It is all about the condition of the heart:

Proverbs 21:21 He who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness and honor.

And of course, this whole story is such a beautiful foreshadowing of Christ calling us out of darkness, drawing us to Himself, and redeeming our lives from the destroyer.

I hope that you have enjoyed this study – I have certainly learned much.
I have enjoyed both Matthew Henry’s Commentaries and the Torah Class on Ruth.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

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Christmas Carol Considerations – Away in the Manger

Christmas Season lasts until January 6 for the liturgical church.

This song is one that I love – and I would sing as a lullaby to my children.
Again, thanks to the website Christmas Carol Lyrics, I can provide a little bit of history, as well as the lyrics!

The manger is a crucial part of the Christmas Story!

https://youtu.be/qJdziJ_imjw

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.

The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.

This really points out the beauty of the humility of God coming down to earth in the form of a baby. He left his throne to rest in a manger.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.

I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle til morning is nigh.

This speaks that Jesus was different…fully man, and fully God.
He deserves us to declare that HE IS LORD!

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.

Forever…forever. The simplicity of this carol ranks up with Jesus Loves Me, in my mind!

Here is one of my favorite versions!

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ruth 4

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

Ruth 4

4
1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

I have a question here –
Boaz knew he was the kinsman redeemer for Naomi – and he knew that there was someone closer than him…
WHY WEREN’T THESE MEN DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT?
Why did Ruth have to glean, why did Naomi have to send Ruth to the threshing floor?
Why did Ruth have to propose to Boaz? In Ruth’s defense, she didn’t understand that ways of the Hebrews –
BUT BOAZ DID! and he was very quick to say “there is another closer than I”
WHY did Ruth and Naomi have to institute the care for widows?
Why did Ruth and Naomi have to beg for the care of the family that was ordained, whether by God or by tradition?

Ok, so now that Boaz has been called out on his duty – he’s going to to his job, and get things in order.

2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you[b] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”

“I will redeem it,” he said.

oops – wrong answer…or was this a sly way to lay things out?
And again, this is not a huge metropolis…why doesn’t this unnamed family member know all about this as well?

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the[c] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”
6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

Boaz was apparently a shrewd business man.
I’m assuming he knew exactly how to ask and present this to this family member.

9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon.
10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”
11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

Here is a neat thing – this is the blessing spoken upon HEBREW women when they are married.
Here’s an interesting twist…Tamar bore to Judah?
Genesis 38 tells the progression of Levirate marriage!
Tamar was married to Er – Judah’s first born.
Er dies.

Genesis 38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death.

Onan refuses- by spilling his seed (not by abstaining).
Onan dies.

Genesis 38:9 But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.

So, Judah has one more son…Shelah. He promises him to Tamar when he grows up.
long story short – he doesn’t.
Judah’s wife dies – he is greiving – and sees one that he thinks is a prostitute at the side of the road.
Tamar.

Here is an interesting part:

Genesis 38:24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”
Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”

I’m remembering Mary – who was found to be pregnant.
I’m thinking about what could have happened to Ruth, had Boaz accused her of prostitution!

Instead – Genesis 38:25-30
Tamar calls him on his broken promise as well as for sleeping with a, perceived, prostitute!
Twins – Perez and Zerah.

The Hebrew blessing upon a marrying woman speaks of Tamar! a woman who was scorned(and, suffered because she was married to a man that was evil in God’s sight!). God raised up her name to be part of a blessing!

Ruth 4:
Naomi Gains a Son
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Boaz and Ruth redeem Naomi’s family, that of her husband and her sons, by giving her their first born son.
What if Boaz didn’t have another? Boaz did the right thing, swearing to the possibility of his own hurt. Psalm 15:4
I don’t know, but there is no mention of Boaz having a prior wife, or prior children. This could have been his only chance.

I find this next passage interesting!

Ruth 4
The Genealogy of David
18 This, then, is the family line of Perez:
Perez was the father of Hezron,

19 Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab,
20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,[d]
21 Salmon the father of Boaz,

Perez, the one born of some sort of legal incest, was Boaz’s ancestor!

Boaz the father of Obed,

22 Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of David.

Matthew 1 repeats this genealogy. This is the mother’s side(I think)
it includes Rahab…

Matthew 1:5

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Boaz was half Amorite! Rahab – from the story of the men Joshua sent out in Joshua 2 was an Amorite. And a Prostitute!

Another from another land that professed her trust and belief in the God of Israel!

Joshua 2:8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof
9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.
10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.
11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

Of course, the story of Rahab and the spies is where we get the shadow of the scarlet cord – the foreshadowing of the scarlet blood that was shed by Christ to save us all.

Obed, the father of David – the shepherd King and the forerunner of Jesus Christ – was 1/4 Amorite and 1/2 Moabite!

God truly raises up the humble, the meek, the poor, the lowly to be His instruments!

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Matthew 23:12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

James 4:7-10
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Romans 9:15-16
15 For he says to Moses,
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”[a]
16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.

And this – I see this flowing through the whole of the story of Ruth!

Matthew 5:3-9
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

If I ever get to thinking that I am special in anyway – I can look at this…and I can look at Balaam’s Donkey – and remember, God uses those that are willing – not those that are special.

I want to live the beattitudes – and there is no room for pride of arrogance in that list.

James 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

I am just now reading the Torah Class lesson about the rest of Ruth 4. I love how the teacher does not try to excuse the words, but rather, accept it for what it is, while also looking to the whole Hebrew history. Boaz and Ruth did not have the Levirate marriage. That was Tamar and Judah’s sons. Read more about this in the Torah Class.

In this lesson, it is also mentioned that Leah and Rachel were gentiles before marrying into Israel!

Then after the elders publically notarize the agreement, they pronounce a prayer and a blessing over Boaz and Ruth asking that God would make them very fruitful (in children and descendants) like Leah and Rachael did for Jacob. It is an interesting choice of women’s names to invoke because Rachael and Leah had something in common with Ruth: they were all gentiles before their Hebrew husbands married them. It’s hard to get away from the fact that gentiles always played a key role in building up of the nation of Israel and in their redemption. In fact, when even the name of Tamar is mentioned as the mother of Peretz (Judah being the father) she too was a gentile woman. And Peretz is mentioned because he was an ancestor of Boaz.

This teachers final thoughts are well written:

But let’s not let one other connection zoom by us the son of Ruth, the one who redeems, was born in Bethlehem and then perhaps 125 years later that son’s grandchild, King David, would also be born in Bethlehem. And then 1000 years after that, Yoseph and Miriam who lived far to the north in Nazareth of the Galilee found themselves in Bethlehem for a few days and there, in the same place that Obed and David were brought into this world, so was Yeshua the Messiah.

I’m going to write up some final thoughts tomorrow about my thoughts on Ruth.
Please join me!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ruth 3

Ruth 3

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor

3
1 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home[a] for you, where you will be well provided for.
2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.
3 Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

This sounds very odd to me!

Matthew Henry introduces this chapter this way:

We found it very easy, in the former chapter, to applaud the decency of Ruth’s behaviour, and to show what good use we may make of the account given us of it; but in this chapter we shall have much ado to vindicate it from the imputation of indecency, and to save it from having an ill use made of it; but the goodness of those times was such as saved what is recorded here from being ill done, and yet the badness of these times is such as that it will not justify any now in doing the like.

This didn’t really help me – so I went to a Torah Class Website, to see what they have to say about Ruth and Boaz on the Threshing room floor!

This article is VERY interesting, coming from the Hebrew point of view – and once the author gets to the threshing room floor instructions, this is what he says:

But then the instruction gets a little dicey; Na’omi tells Ruth to uncover his feet and lie down with him. Now I’m sure most of you have an image of seduction in your minds about now, and you might be right (although it was not to the extent that some have claimed). Here’s the thing; the Bible can get very sensual and sexual at times. Sex was just an everyday part of life, and while modesty was called for in God’s people, they were also around farm animals all the time and every child was familiar from an early age of the natural reproductive process. And certain flirtations between men and women were open and common in Biblical days that today would be seen as crude and objectionable. I’ll explain where I’m going with this later.

Ruth 3:5-15 – Ruth says yes, does what her Mother in law prescribes, is greeted by Boaz, and blessed.

That article from Torah Class really explains a lot of the icky thinking…and puts things into perspective.

Chapters 1 and 2 have led up to Ruth and Boaz being very Godly people.
Sexual sin would compromise the whole kinsman redeemer prospect.
Harlots were stoned(remember the thoughts about Mary, the mother of Jesus?)
If there had been seduction and harlotry, Ruth would have been unmarriable.
Something else was going on.
I’m so glad that I found this other site…The commentary by Matthew Henry and the Torah Class really helped me out here!

16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”
Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her
17 and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
18 Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

The Torah Class continues with 3, and concludes with 4.

Courting obviously involves flirtatious interaction between male and female as one attempts to attract the other: but hopefully it unfolds more in the way that the God who created man and woman intended as opposed to something that is significantly less than appropriate, especially for those who honor YHWH as Lord of all. Thus we examined and discarded a somewhat new interpretation of the middle-of-the-night events taking place on the threshing floor between Ruth and Boaz. And this new interpretation is that Ruth sneaked in and exposed Boaz as a somewhat usual and customary indication of her interest in marriage. Not only does this rather strained attempt to find something provocative in this passage of Ruth not fit a straightforward, intellectually honest and plain translation of the Hebrew narrative, but it also tosses aside the context and motif of the entire story that is based on two exceptionally righteous, modest, faithful followers of the God of Israel: Ruth and Boaz.

This lesson 7 goes on to explain more about the Levirate Marriage, and the go-el, and how this is so important.

A moabitess – an outsider – a pagan – that lives in darkness.
By her marriage, she becomes aware of a light – the light of the God of Israel.
She leaves the darkness and pays the price to move into the light.
Because of this, she and her house are redeemed!

As a mother that has children that are not walking with the Lord as they were taught, this is a great story of encouragement to me.
As one that was born in sin, and needed a savior, this reminds me that I need to turn from darkness and cling to the LIGHT!

I ask that the Lord Jesus continues to spread the corner of His garment over me – and I pray that I will continue to lie at HIS feet – in total submission, awaiting HIM to give me instructions.

I hope that you enjoy the two commentaries. I have!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Christmas Carols Considerations – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

The first Christmas Carol I’m considering is God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen sung by a traditional choir.

Wikipedia contains the history of this song.

The first recorded version is found in Three New Christmas Carols, dated c. 1760.

God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay
For Jesus Christ, our Savior was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s powers when we were gone astray

Glad tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Glad tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Israel this blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary did nothing take in scorn

Chorus

From God our Heavenly Father a blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name

Chorus

“Fear not then, said the angel, let nothing you affright
This day is born a Savior of a pure virgin bright
To free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s power and might”

Chorus

The Shepherds at those tidings Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a feeding, In tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethlehem straightway,This blessed babe to find.

Chorus

But when to Bethlehem they came, Whereas this infant lay,
They found him in a manger, Where oxen feed on hay,
His mother Mary kneeling Unto the Lord did pray.

Chorus

Now to the Lord sing praises, all you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas all other doth deface

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy

There is so much amazing theology in this Carol!
LET NOTHING YOU DISMAY!
FEAR NOT
COMFORT AND JOY!
The humility of the manger.
The messengers of God – Angels speaking to the unloved.

In the midst of life, there are so many things that come up that would cause one to dismay or fear!
In the midst of the storms, we need comfort and joy.
God came down to OUR level to give us these gifts.

I, for one, and very thankful that He did!

Now, here are a few upbeat versions! Enjoy!
Merry Christmas!

Advent Devotions

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

2017 My One Word – #MyDays Psalm 90:12

Psalm 90:12

Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

This was part of last years word – Prepare.

And I’ve written how I realized how unprepared I really am!
the thing is, what is the point of preparation?
Just to be prepared in the face of fear? crisis? trauma? sickness?

This verse has hit me in the last months of 2016 – the point of preparation is
THAT I MAY GAIN A HEART OF WISDOM!

I think I’ll be focusing on schedules – so as not to WASTE time.
I think I’ll be focusing on hiding the word in my heart – so that I don’t sin against the Lord!
Psalm 119:11
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
I think I’ll be focusing on organization to be more efficient in my efforts.
I think I’ll be focusing on choices…choosing wisely!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Christmas Carol Considerations – For Unto Us a Child Is Born – Messiah

For unto Us a Child is Born from Handel’s Messiah

For unto us a Child is born (Handel's Messiah) from Jeffrey Stivers on Vimeo.

Isaiah 9:6-7

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

Jesus IS our Christmas GIFT!
For me – that is all that needs to be said! I love this song, I loved singing it in choir, and I love listening to it!

~~~~~

Advent Devotions
Thank you to Christmas Carol Lyrics for providing the lyrics for these Christmas Carols!

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ruth 2

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook.

Ruth 2

2
1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz.
2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”
Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” 3 So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.

“AS IT TURNED OUT”…there is no indication that Naomi told her to go find Boaz’s field, in fact, the opposite! She didn’t!
Another GOD timing, GOD orchestration! It was the time of the harvest – EVERYONE was harvesting!

Boaz seems to be a different type of boss…greeting his harvesters, and even noticing when someone new is in the picture! “Who’s that?”

6 The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”

This tells Boaz that Ruth is a hard worker…
In addition, while Ruth and Naomi don’t know which field this is, Boaz knows who Naomi is, Boaz knows who Ruth is, and Boaz knows his responsibility to his clan!

8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me.
9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

Boaz shows his character here. He gives Ruth advice for her protection. He makes sure that his men will not touch her, and he makes provision for her thirst!

Ruth is surprised – recognizing that this is special treatment – and asks why?

11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before.
12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

Ruth had humbled herself to be attached to Naomi. Boaz speaks a blessing upon her, because her kindnesses have spoken much about HER character! He also admits to HIS faith in God, based upon his comments here!

Ruth knows that she is nothing more than a beggar, at least, that is what she thinks. She knows that she is not even one of his servants! She realizes that something more than just kindness has been bestowed upon her.

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.”
When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over.

The Bible verse about casting your bread upon the water and it will come back – or planting a seed and it will bring forth a harvest – this is the example of those principles. Ruth had planted into the life of Naomi. I think that Naomi planted into the life of Ruth! Either way, Ruth is getting blessed for her humble acts of kindness! Again, Boaz shows his character, by caring for someone that does not know that she is family yet! In the same way that Jesus fed the people on the hillside, she had all she wanted, and there was some left over.

15 As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves and don’t reprimand her. 16 Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.”

Is this exceedingly, abundantly, above what she could ask or think?

17 So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah.
18 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.

We don’t see it until here, but that leftover grain? Ruth saved it for Naomi! Ruth was devoted to caring for Naomi!
Naomi realizes that this is not just some ordinary gleaning – something is going on. So she asks Ruth – who’s field? Ruth says, oh, some man named Boaz.

20 “The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.”

I can see Naomi jumping up, and shouting! I’m not sure that Ruth knew what was going on, but, somehow she understood that this was a good thing!

Finally, things start to look up for Naomi!
All because of the love of an undesirable!
Ruth was a Moabitess – the Israelites were not to intermarry!
Moabites were not the best friends to the Israelites – though they were not the worst, either.

Where did Moab come from:
Wikipedea says:

According to the biblical account, Moab and Ammon were born to Lot and Lot’s elder and younger daughters, respectively, in the aftermath of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Bible refers to both the Moabites and Ammonites as Lot’s sons, born of incest with his daughters Genesis 19:37-38

These are NOT the folks a good Hebrew Mom would want her sons to marry! Boaz’s comments about Ruth point out that she had decided to take refuge under the Wings of the God of Israel. Apparently, HE understood the principles of forgiveness from the Old Testament – rather than the harsh mean God that many refer to!

Timing – IN HIS TIME!

As I am writing this, Jim and I are moving our bedroom around. When we purchased the house, we did not have a lot of money to buy furniture. We went to various thrift stores, and bought pieces that ‘looked’ like what we’d like. Because we were not able to be choosy, we didn’t really measure and plan.

Curtains purchased in one place matched the sofas purchased in another place, and the fabric I’d fallen in love with at JoAnn’s.
We bought a bed and a dresser set at one store – they did not totally match, but, they were similar enough that we were pleased. We put the bed on one wall, and the dresser on the other. In addition, we had purchased end tables several years earlier for our apartment in Lakeland! At that time, there was NO plan to buy a house!

We wanted to move the bed to another wall, in order to create more flow. The issue was that dresser. It was 6 feet long, and fit on ONE wall. We did not want to block the path into the closet.

In order to put the bed on the other wall, with the nightstands, it was not going to be centered, because of that dresser. There was NO other place to put this dresser….unless….

The bed frame, side to side, was seven feet. In fact, the six foot dresser fits perfectly between the thick legs of the footboard of the bedframe! There is even room for a comfy chair – like the one I’ve been wanting in my bedroom FOR YEARS! And, everything is lined up! It’s as if we’d planned it!

No judgement – we just moved the dresser!

We didn’t. God did. We put the furnishing of the house in God’s hands. He gave to us exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could ask or think! If we had tried to plan this, we couldn’t have, because we would never have planned THIS arrangement.

Naomi and Ruth did not plan what field to go into – God sent Ruth.
Ruth did not plan on Boaz providing for her – but God knew Boaz’s heart.
When we trust in God, when we take refuge under the wings of the God of Israel, the God of Creation, the Lord of Life – HE will provide, and give us peace.

For additional study –
Alistair Begg’s series God of the Ordinary

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Christmas Carol Considerations – What Child is This? Mary did you Know?

I have chosen TWO carols for this devotion – because I believe they go hand in hand!
There is a lot of music on this blog!

What Child is This?

https://youtu.be/u0tn-VdgU_k

1 What Child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
Chorus:
This, this is Christ, the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

2 Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.[Chorus]

3 So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come, peasant, king to own Him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.[Chorus]
Baptist Hymnal, (2008)

https://youtu.be/u0tn-VdgU_k

And, here is the answer – in Mary Did you know?
Did Mary know what was going to happen to her baby boy?

Mark Lowry wrote this song. I’ve included a recent version at the end.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water? ( Matthew 14:22-23)

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?(Acts 4:12)

Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new? (Rev 21:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man? (John 9)

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will calm the storm with His hand?(Mark 4:39)

Did you know
that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kiss the face of God? (John 10)

Mary did you know.. Mary did you know

The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb. (Matthew 11:5)

Mary did you know

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?

Did you know
that your Baby Boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you’re holding is the Great, I Am.

Mary did you know

These are two of my favorite Christmas Carols.
Why? well, one is that my first name is Mary…and, two, I have always wondered what Mary thought about from the day she was met by the angel, to the day she watched her son give his life for the world.

Mary – the first person to know that Jesus was coming! What a relationship she must have had with her heavenly Father. I want to be like Mary. And I want to be like Jesus.
These songs just evoke the majesty of this whole event. I hope you are blessed by this as well!

~~~~~

Advent Devotions
Thank you to Christmas Carol Lyrics and Hymnary for providing the lyrics and research for these Christmas Carols!

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ruth 1

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook.

Ruth 1

First is the background for the Story of Ruth!

Ruth 1:1-2
1 In the days when the judges ruled,[a] there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

Famine.
With two sons.
And no hope.
This was not supposed to be a permanent decision! “For a while”.
But the plans did not happen as they had planned!

3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.

How many mothers plan for their husband to die before them, much less, leave them with TWO sons?

4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

TEN years – this is such a drop in a bucket in a life. Yet, so much happened so fast in Naomi’s life! Famine, Husband dies, two sons die – and in the middle of this, her sons marry outside of the faith! Nothing is looking right for Naomi!

6 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. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

About now, I’d be thinking – “Now what if I’d stayed in Bethlehem in the first place??? Would Elimelek still be here? What about my two sons? Would I have righteous daughters-in-law?”
I would be scared to take the road back to the land of Judah, but, I’d be scared not to! I’d be thinking I need to start all over, and maybe I can find some family that will help me out. There’s laws in Israel that take care of widows!

The thing is, she had TWO daughters-in-law!

“Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

These girls had been her daughters for about 10 years. They shared grief. They apparently did not provide children for her sons, but, they loved her. And she loved them enough to want to set them free, free to their own homes, with their own families, with their own faith. Free to have a new life.

Orpah said ok, but Ruth said NO WAY!

Ruth’s Song!

16 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.
17 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.”
18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

Why was Ruth so determined? Did she not have a home to go back to? Or had she seen the faith of Namoi, and decided to hook her wagon to Naomi’s God? This verse has been used in marriage ceremonies for generations, and yet, it is the statement of a young woman for her MOTHER-IN-LAW! One that may not have approved of her in the beginning. One that had nothing to offer her, and yet, Ruth devoted herself to the care of her mother-in-law. This is beautiful. This was my standard for my relationship with MY mother-in-law, though things didn’t work out as I’d hoped. This is a beautiful example of Love…selfless love(and I don’t mean that I was an example!). This should be our example, our goal, for our relationship with our mother-in-law. Or, just to be like Ruth!

19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

Depression takes on many forms. Grief can lead to depression, and grief upon grief upon grief is hard to overcome. In addition to her husband and sons, she had also lost a daughter, even though she’d given her the freedom to go. She returned to Bethlehem with nothing to show for leaving. The famine in her heart was far greater than the famine that was in the land when they left.

22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

Famine – is it WRONG to go somewhere else during a famine?
Abraham when to Egypt – to escape a famine.
Joseph called his family to come to Egypt during a famine.
Is it wrong to try to get away from trials? We are promised a way of escape. (1 Cor 10:13)

Why are there famines?
In several instances, famine is a judgement.
Even in Judgement – famine is utilized by God to MOVE people!

Psalm 33:18-22
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness, 19To deliver their soul from deathAnd to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name.

Psalm 37:18-19
The LORD knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever. 19They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the daysof famine they will have abundance.

In this case, whether Ebimielech was lacking in faith, scared, or actually heard from the Lord to go to Moab – this choice laid into motion a Moabitess as a the grandmother of King David, and an ancestor to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 29:11 says

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

And
Jeremiah 29:12 says:

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

It would seem that in my life, sometimes God allows famines to move me to my knees!
He has a plan for me.

But I need to get on board,
call upon HIM,
come to HIM,
pray to HIM –
humble myself….

1 Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time

James 4:7-10
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Naomi is humbled.
Naomi has cried out to God.
Naomi has returned to the place of her birth, and the place of the birth of her faith.
God will lift her up!

Here is what I hear about my responsibility if I am in a famine:

James 1:2-8
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

If I truly believe what this book talks about, I believe that God has a plan, and that HE will orchestrate whatever needs to be done in order to help me make the proper choices for HIS good will in MY life.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

The Wildberry Patch

Be Engrafted into the VINE to produce Eternal Fruit

Category Archives: Bible Thoughts

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