“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 (NLT) The heart of this ministry is to inspire a love for God’s Word and encourage the discipline of daily Bible reading and SOAP journaling. These are a few of our SOAP notes from today’s reading. We encourage you to read and journal on your own first, then join us in conversation about what God revealed to YOU today. Click HERE to go directly to the daily reading if you wish.
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Lead By Example | Joni Tyner
S~ At mealtime, Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help your to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over. Ruth 2:14 (NLT)
O~ Ruth is a Moabite widow who chooses to leave the familiarity of her homeland and accompany her mother in law to Bethlehem. My Bible notes say that there was hostility between Israel and Moab and that Moabites typically practiced pagan rituals. The Jewish people did not allow Moabites to worship at the Tabernacle.
This scripture is picking up the story when Boaz finds out who Ruth is and that she has been working all day in the fields. I wonder if she was ignored (or worse) by the other harvesters? From what I can gather, it appears she was sitting alone because Boaz calls her to “come over” and then is says, “so she sat with his harvesters”.
A~ I’ve read/heard the story of Ruth several times. This morning I noticed the actions of Boaz. He was a wealthy, influential land owner, AND he was kind and generous. I started wondering what Ruth’s day was like in the field, if she was harassed or teased by her accent. Maybe the conversations were political and uncomfortable. I think it is a safe assumption that this was a unpleasant day for Ruth to be doing manual labor in the hot sun and be surrounded by harsh, unkind people.
I love how Boaz used his influence to build up Ruth and set the tone in his fields to be kind and generous. He is a great example of living a life of integrity.
P~ Dear Lord, I pray that I have increased insight to see other people as they work and I ask for opportunities to encourage them. Thank you for this reading this morning.
Stumbling Block | Kimi Miller
S~ Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 1 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)
O~ Don’t let your actions be a stumbling block for others. Everything about the Christian faith is done out of love for others over love for yourself.
A~ I’ve often justified my own behavior by telling myself my heart/faith are in the right place so it’s okay with little thought of how it might affect others around me, especially those growing in their faith, too. Anytime I find myself justifying my behavior, I’d better check myself, because God will judge my every thought, word, and action. If Christ is my advocate then what He says it what matters most; He has the final say. Am I really going to try to justify my actions to Him? Why would I not instead listen and do what He says; especially knowing He is the One who is intervening for me. Isn’t it better to trust the wisdom and guidance of Jesus than to try and do it on my own? I don’t even know where I’m going, or where others around me are at or going.
So it is best to learn how Jesus views the matter, to listen to His justification and wisdom over my own. To do this, I must slow down in every matter. I must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry (James 1:19). That kind of heavenly wisdom saves me – and those around me – from my foolish wisdom. I must slow down and think it through before I act. If there is anything about my thoughts that requires my justification for actions, then I need to wait a little longer and seek wiser counsel than my own.
P~ Lord, help me to slow down so that I don’t become a stumbling block for my own faith, and the faith of others. Help me to apply this wisdom in every area of my life. I love You.
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