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Today is Wednesday March 31, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Ruth. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-march-31
Title: Bible Study: Turn Bitterness Into Blessings
The Book of Ruth is the eighth book of the Old Testament/Bible, the author of the book is unknown, but it was first written to the Israelites. The purpose of the book was to show that even Gentiles who are faithful to God become a part of His People. She became the great grandmother of David. It also illustrates the kinsman-redeemer relationship of Jesus Christ. What we are to learn from the book is that God can turn bitterness into blessings for all who come to Him, Jew or Gentile.
It is amazing when an entire family is devoted to Christ, there is no strife between each other and when there is it is quickly resolved. Sadly that is not the case for many families, I remember a time when my father and aunt did not speak to each other for years over a house that belonged to my grandmother after she passed away. Why? Bitterness. My aunt thought she deserved the house because she was the oldest child, she became bitter when she did not get what she wanted and caused all kinds of problems for the rest of the family. Bitterness can really destroy a relationship, including our relationship with God as well.
Ruth and Orpah, Moabite women, were daughter-in-laws to Naomi, by her two sons Mahlon and Chilion, who were Jews. “Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.” - Ruth 1:1-4. This is an example of marriages that God really does not approve of, we should not be yoked with non-believers, but He does give us a choice and once in a while it is a good choice. However, we must be willing to bring God into the marriage or it will not survive, my parents divorced because they did not have God in their marriage and brothers and I suffered because of that as well.
While we can not choose what family we are born into, we can choose how to live our lives, even if you are the only one devoted to Christ. Mahlon and Chilion died and now Naomi was left with her daughter-in-laws, she urged them to go back to their parents homes. Orpah did, but Ruth did not, she made the choice to follow God. “And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.....And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” - Ruth 1:8,14-17. Ruth could have gone back to her roots, instead she chose God. We are all faced with the decision to choose the world and it's gods or choose the One True God. Her story should give encouragement and hope to the most despondent, helpless, defeated person. God can always bring something beautiful out of the most miserable circumstance when we turn to Him with our whole heart.
The Book of Ruth highlights our Lord's loving-kindness to the Gentiles in selecting Ruth, a Moabite woman, who became the great-grandmother of King David. For the third time God united both Jew and Gentile in the ancestry of David and of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, proving that all who choose Christ are a part of the kingdom of God, both Jew and Gentile. “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” - II Corinthians 4:13-18. God uses every circumstance to our good and for His glory. We may suffer for a time, but when we choose God He will help us endure the pain and see the blessings beyond what we can not see. Praise God that all who believe in and seek Jesus Christ receive eternal rewards.
It is time to turn any bitterness into blessings. We have a choice, we can be bitter about the situation we are in have been in or we can move forward knowing that Jesus is with us. He truly is the truth, the life, and the way, and as long as He is with us we can overcome any bitterness that we have, even from years ago. If we let go of any bitterness we have deep inside we will see joy, my aunt still can not get over the bitterness, even yesterday she reminded me of something that happened 15 years ago. What a waste of life, to be so bitter that life has no joy at all, if she would only go to Christ she will find joy in her life, before it is too late. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” - Romans 5:10,11. We are reconciled with God for every sin and find joy through all our pain, including any bitterness we have, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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