Ruth’s
Willing Heart
Vs 5 – “And
she said to her, ‘All that you say to me I
will do.’”
Willingness
is a state of readiness or preparedness of heart which is required for joyful
obedience and submission;
Willingness
is an attribute of the life of Christ. If we allow the willingness of Jesus to
manifest through us, it will lead us into God’s purpose for our lives as
singles.
Willingness
attracts blessings for our offspring.
Example of
the willing heart of Jesus - Luke 22:42-44
“Father,
if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in
anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood
falling to the ground.”
Example of
the willing heart of Rebekah - Genesis 24:58-60
“So
they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,”
she said. So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse
and Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
“Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring
possess the gates of their enemies.”
Rebekah's offspring received a blessing because of her
willingness. Psalm 127:4-5 also tells us: “Children who are born to a young man
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. Happy is the man who has his bag full
of arrows. They will not be defeated when they fight their enemies at the city
gate.” (NCV)
If the arrows in our bags
(i.e. children in our homes) do not possess the gates of their enemies, we
should check the willingness and obedience to the will of the Father.
Prayer
- Lord, help me to prepare my heart to do Your will. I want Your will to be accomplished in my life and in the life of all You have connected to my life.
- Psalm 51:10-12 NIV - "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
- Psalm 110:1-3 - “The LORD says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!” Your troops will be willing on your day of battle, arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb.”
- Lord, help me by Your Spirit to sit at Your feet until death works in me through and through, so that the willing life of Christ can manifest through me. Strengthen me by Your Spirit to rule in the midst of my enemies – within and without.
- Grant that my troops will be willing in the day of battle. Help me to offer myself willingly in the day of Your power.
- I repent of all my lip service when I said, “I will go,” but did not. Deliver me from all the inertia that prevents me from doing the will of the Father, after saying that I will. (Matthew 21:28-32 – Parable of the two sons).
Naomi’s
Focused Heart
Vs
1-4a – “Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not
seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz,
whose young women you are with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is
winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.Therefore wash yourself and
anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor;
but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and
drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place
where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down;”
Naomi
gave Ruth this instruction because she had a focus on the much needed security
of a kinsman redeemer (Boaz). A kinsman
redeemer is a male relative who delivers or rescues another from trouble,
danger or need. God has provided Jesus Christ as our Kinsman Redeemer
–Galatians 3:13.
Through
Boaz, Ruth was included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5) and she
became blessed indeed. She increased to thousands upon thousands, and her Seed
possessed the gates of His enemies. Through faith, we have been brought into
the genealogy of Christ for His life to continue living through us and to
increase through us,
Prayer
- Lord, help me to channel my focus to my Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ so that Your purpose for my future home can be a reality.
- Take my eyes of distractions. I want the life of Christ to have continuity in me. I want to increase to thousands upon thousands. I want my offspring to possess the gates of their enemies. Help me Lord, to set my face towards You as a flint.
Ruth’s
Obedient Heart
Vs
4b – “and he will tell you what you should do.”
Ruth
did not wait to understand the total picture before takings steps unto
obedience. She was happy to be told what to do at every point.
Prayer
- Lord, give me a heart that is humble and happy to be told what to do, and to do it, even when I do not understand everything. Therein lies the blessing You have for me and for the generations that will come through me.
- Let my life affect my family members and grant that generations after me will benefit from the work of the cross in me.
- Let me, like Ruth, leave a legacy of a life found in the genealogy of Christ; a life lived in Christ, for Christ and with Christ. Of the increase of Your kingdom, let there be no end through me – in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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