After Christmas

As we enter the dreaded post-Christmas comedown, some people may have started wondering what the heck to do with all the Christmas presents they now have. Those of you with kids may even be seeing the gifts you put weeks of work and thought into starting to get discarded and forgotten. The weight of all this material stuff may start gathering up, and you could be saddled with that gift-receiving guilt I know all too well. When all the stuff that comes along with the Christmas season starts losing its shine and reality begins creeping back in, what do we do when the gifts feel hollow and unfulfilling?

Now as good a time as any is a good time for the reminder I like looking to after Christmas. Luke 2, the classic Christmas verse, encapsulates the glory of the Christmas season well, but also contains great instructions for what comes after in verse 20, when the Shepherds are leaving baby Jesus’s manger – “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” We’ve been spending quite a while now hearing about and considering the gift of eternal life Jesus’s birth sets into motion – the greatest gift of all.

As Paul writes in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Now more than ever is a good time to remember how serious a gift God has given us through His son. By our own nature, we rightfully deserve utter damnation, but through God’s grace He has gifted us eternity. We no longer need to worry about death or suffering or what comes afterwards – we know we are gifted eternity with God. How many gift cards or sweaters were you gifted this year that could obliterate death?

The world will try to tell us at all times how we can find fulfillment through physical gifts and the things of this world. But none of that will last beyond this lifetime, throughout history, or in some instances, even through this week. Now, after the birth of Christ, is the time to consider the one best gift we have received, that we could ever hope to receive. Ephesians 2:8 says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Santa may have only given gifts to those who deserved it, but all of us believers can now ponder and praise God for the one gift no one could ever want to return.

Now, with this gift, what do we do? How do we handle such a powerful and important gift? Well, it’s just as the Shepherds did when they heard the news of Jesus’s arrival in Luke 2:20: “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” As we all begin rolling back into our regular routines, remember the gift we can tell others we received that will last forever – eternal salvation and happiness with God, given from His grace and goodwill. How could we not glorify and praise the Lord for this gift?

Do You Believe In Miracles?

One of the great things about Christmas, if we take step back and reflect, is that it reminds us that Jesus was human like you and me. He came into this world the same way we did and experienced the same emotions and temptations. Yes, Jesus came for the ultimate purpose to pay the price which should have been ours for our sins, but I believe one of His purposes was also to allow us to truly see the heart of God in a way we could not fully comprehend if there was only God the Father up in Heaven. One of the places where we get great insight into his heart is through the death of Lazarus in John 11:1-43.

I don’t know what 2019 has brought you and what 2020 and beyond will bring you, but I know this past year has brought my family and I some challenges with 2 spine surgeries in my neck and some loss of functionality in my hand, as well as other changes, I thought I would never see. However, it has also brought blessings and what I would call miracles in the midst which we would not have experienced without these challenges. Yes, I am still praying for an additional miracle for my hand to fully come back, but these experiences brought me closer to God with more gratitude for His blessings and my main prayers have been that my experience helps others in some way (at least 2 people so far are seeing the same surgeon) and that God be glorified through it.

In these verses in John, we see Mary and Martha first react in a way that most of do through challenges.. questioning why He let this happen and even why He wasn’t there (John 11:21, John 11:32). After He sees Martha and the other Jews crying it says in John 11:33 that He was “deeply moved in His Spirit and greatly troubled.” It then says right after in John 11:35, “He wept.” In my humble opinion, He is not weeping because His friend, Lazarus, died…for He knew what was going to happen and says so at least 4 times before this (John 11:3, John 11:11, John 11:14, John 11:23). I believe He is weeping because He sees the pain of Mary and Martha and the other Jews. How blessed are we that we have a God who cares about our pains and showed us that in the physical person of Jesus? Our feelings matter to Him. He cares.

Jesus also tells us multiple times here in these verses the purpose of our pain..

“..This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”          

John 11:4

“Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to Him.’”

John 11:14-15

“Jesus said, ’Did I not tell you that if you believed you will see the glory of God?’”

John 11:40

“’…..but I said this on account of the people standing around that they may believe that you sent me.’”

John 11:42

We must know and trust that nothing happens “to us”…only “for us”…or better yet…”for Him.” This is hard. We don’t like pain and problems. I mentioned earlier Martha was upset and took a jab so to speak saying to Jesus that this wouldn’t have happened if He was there (John 11:21), but she also says in John 11:22, “But even now I know whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” It’s okay to be human and be upset for a moment..that’s normal..but she gives us a great example of going back to believing and trusting in Him. Jesus says we must fully believe in the glory of God and His ability to do miracles in John 11:40 when He says, ….”Did I not tell you if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

Through my health challenges in 2019, I’ve tried to do my best to share my faith in God and His plan and will for my life, and most importantly, share the miracles/blessings that have still come in the midst of it. What could have been could have been way worse. It was a miracle to find my doctor in Pittsburgh who performed a procedure no one else is doing with the least long term effects..even my doctors at Mayo didn’t know about it. I only found him because my sister-in-law’s sister had the same condition and found him. Or worse yet, if I was born in a different time in history when no treatment was available, I would have become paralyzed in time.

One of the biggest miracles in this situation did not happen this year though, it happened in 2002. I can vividly remember sitting in front of the computer at home and trying to decide if I was going to choose a major of biology on my University of Illinois application and pursue my dream to be an orthodontist, or switch to a business major at the 11th hour. I decided to switch to business. Why? I didn’t fully know at time…maybe less time in school (haha)..it was my dream though. Now, 18 years later, I can see God’s plan for that change. I would not be able to practice as an orthodontist today with the loss of functionality of my hand, and I would not have been able to purchase insurance to protect my income for my family due to pre-existing conditions before I would have even started my dental training. However, because of that click of a button and God’s plan..not mine…I can still continue my career as a financial advisor and have multi-generational impact and provide for my family through the work I do. Praise God.

We can find God’s blessings and miracles through every situation, even death, when we just reflect and search. Will you join me in praying for wisdom to do our absolute best in 2020 and beyond to look for them…and most importantly to glorify Him through them…no matter how hard it is? God cares, and He has a plan…even when it seems impossible to see. Let us trust in and remember that.

 

 

Christmas

 

 

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”

It is here…the day we have all been planning for, for weeks. It’s Christmas. I have noticed that the last few years, I have awoken on Christmas morning and thought, “I hope I’m ready. I hope I’ve accomplished everything I needed to, to make this day special, beautiful, and worshipful for our family” Part of me is frustrated that my first thought on Christmas day is “Am I ready?” instead of “This is the day that Jesus gave up heaven to be born on earth.” What went through your mind as you opened your eyes today?

I have a Christmas play list on my phone that I have running in my car as I do errands and I stream it through the house as I do chores during the month of December. This year a little phrase in one of the songs stood out to me each time I heard the song. Two words, that’s all the bigger the phrase is. “Heaven’s generosity” This phrase is so rich and full of promise. It encompasses the entire list from Isaiah 9 printed out in the opening paragraph. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…all of that gifted to us if we accept. “Heaven’s generosity” simply states the ultimate gift given to us, Jesus becoming human, walking in “our shoes”, and dying a human death to pay the price for buying us back from our deserved consequences. This is the wonder of Christmas. Heaven’s generosity is what brings joy no matter our circumstances today. It’s what brings hope every day of our lives. It is the passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we have a way to be washed clean so we can be in His presence while we are on earth and for eternity.

I am so humbled today by Heaven’s generosity. I don’t have the words to express my gratitude for someone trading their life for mine. I am less than He is in every way, yet He still chose to give me this gift. I don’t deserve this crazy compassionate love, the grace He showers me with over and over again. “Thank You” is too mild, too weak, too trite to convey the gratefulness in my heart, mind and soul. I hope that this morning we are all overcome by gratefulness for Heaven’s generosity.

Love Is

1 John 4:7-12

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

The deli counter of a crowded grocery store is no place to be standing after a long day of travel.  Facing me, was a middle-aged woman with slicked-back hair and jagged teeth.  My thoughts ran wild.  “This is going to take a while.   It shouldn’t, though.  I just want some turkey.  I’ll make it easy for her.”   As she began her greeting, a huge smile took over her face.  She asks me simply “what can I get ya?”  “I need a ½ pound of honey-roasted turkey,” I replied trying to arrange my face to match her exuberant smile.  “Oh man,” she starts, “I have the best honey-maple turkey you’ll ever eat.”  “Do you want to try it?”  “Sure, I’ll take a ½ pound,” I replied hoping to speed her up a bit.  “you don’t want to try it?  I love cutting it.”  That was the turning point for me.  “Really?” I thought in disbelief, wondering how in the world this particular loaf of pressed meat was better than all the others.  “Sure, why not.  I’ll try some.”  She proudly walked to the slicer and pranced back with a two thinly sliced and perfectly stacked pieced of honey-maple turkey.  I pulled them apart handing one to my daughter, quickly consuming my portion.  She was right.  The turkey was amazing.  She was beaming as she put me in my place “I told you, so.”  After completing my order, she says, “next time you come back, I’ll cut you the cracked pepper turkey.  It’s even better.”

The following day, as I loaded my King’s Hawaiian bread with that amazing honey-maple turkey, I wondered if she knew what she did.  In a few short minutes, she was able to reverse my smug, pompous and impatient attitude.  In turn, she filled me with joy, peace, and love.  This was exactly the gift that I needed this Christmas season.

In my reflection, I wondered, how could so much love come from someone so ordinary, in circumstances so mundane?  How could I come away feeling so special?  The answer, of course, is because that’s the way Jesus does it.  Think about it.  He was born to ordinary parents, in a simple little town.  He picked ordinary people to work with and all of them did extraordinary things.  No fanfare, no fancy parades.  Only love.

Merry Christmas!

Savior Baby

Nineteen years ago, Adam Nash was born. His birth was meticulously planned and while his parents always wanted another child, he was brought into the world with an additional purpose: to provide cord blood to his older sister, dying of Fanconi Anaemia. It was a medical success, and since then there have been more children conceived through IVF, carrying specific genetic makeup to provide for sick siblings. Isn’t science mind-blowing? As you can imagine, this brought up a lot of ethical and moral questions. News articles, interviews, books and movies have all followed these cases and told their stories. They’ve coined these genetically designed children as Savior Siblings and Savior Babies.

I’ve only read a few articles, am not an expert or speaking from a specific position. I am so grateful that I’ve never had to weigh options like this to save my child. The articles I’ve read span in language, from “win-win” to “commoditizing children”.

When we come to Luke 1:31-33 we find Mary, being informed that she will give birth to the Son of the Lord God. We don’t know exactly when it was revealed to Mary that this meant he was the Messiah and Savior (Hebrews 10 gives some additional insight). God came to earth, in perfect flesh with a body to make atonement for our sins. The planned Redeemer was born to walk with us, teach us, and die for us.

As we enjoy our Christmas celebrations and see the nativity sets with baby Jesus in the Manger, host Jesus Birthday parties, and rejoice with song and be merry… let’s also remember that He came for one purpose. For you and for me.

Our family has been doing a daily devotion together of the Names of Jesus. He’s the Way, the Root of David, the Good Shepard, the Alpha and Omega, to name a few of the twenty-nine name. As we’ve been reading about each of these, I’m humbled at the fullness of Jesus as a human and all the while coming with the purpose to reunite me with God. To secure my eternity in heaven through the redemption of my sins. The picture of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying to his Father to take the cup from him shows his flesh. The fully human side of Jesus knew the suffering he would endure on the cross. He was born that night in the stable, completely aware of the physical and emotional anguish he would go through.

Baby Jesus in the manger, is our Guide, our Friend, our Healer, He was born to be our Savior and our Sacrifice.

Guard your heart

The freestyle “author’s choice” for daily scripture continues. Upon learning it was to be my choice the initial thought was excitement for the blank canvas then later it was “this is a serious choice and I have no idea… Lord, please give me something.” As the time grew closer to needing to write, no verses came to mind until…

While passing through airport security I overheard an officer reading an inscription on a piece of jewelry that had been left behind. It read:

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)

It was beautiful. The public reading of scripture aloud in Chicago O’Hare International Airport. There were not many witnesses but I heard it and the words were powerful and refreshing. At the time I was making the long journey home from a business trip and missing my family, exhausted from many long days and nights of work.

Was it God’s plan for me to hear this? Was it His desire for me to write about it to you this week? While I’m not certain, I believe regardless that the public reading of scripture invokes the supernatural, it brings God’s living word into our souls at that very moment.

The verse seems to break down nicely into two parts, giving us instruction and the reason for the instruction:

  1. Guard your heart above all else, (Proverbs 4:23a)

What does it mean to “guard our hearts”? Some thoughts, starting with keeping our hearts fed with daily prayer and studying of scripture.

  • In the subsequent verses we are given additional examples/instruction that corresponds to guarding our heart which I’ve paraphrased:
    • Avoiding perverse talk (Proverbs 4:24)
    • Our eyes fixed clearly on the goal – Look straight ahead (Proverbs 4:25) Turning our hearts toward our creator God and savior Jesus Christ, who he is and what he has done for us.
    • Staying on a safe path (Proverbs 4:26) – Resisting temptation; fleeing from sin.
  • Yielding to God’s will especially in times of prosperity, whether personal, health  financial or just life in general. When everything is going great, it becomes easier to think “we’ve got this” rather than relying on God for everything.
  1. for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23b)

How does guarding our heart determine the course of our life?

As a recap from yesterday Jennifer shared a post on anxiety & Philippians 4:6-7 (references guarding our hearts). I already planned to write about guarding our hearts so not a coincidence, God is always at work!

We keep our hearts guarded by submitting to God in prayer (see Philippians 4:6) and as a result we receive the peace of God through and in Jesus:

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

  • Witness; our actions are observed and often imitated by others. Being prepared for difficult conversation with people who may challenge our faith or who may need a word to guide them on their way toward salvation. As we acknowledge God, he makes our path straight.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:6)

  • Marriage; keeping our hearts pure for one another, keeping the commitment.
  • Career; serving those whom we are entrusted to lead strengthens our bonds and builds our teams.
  • Legacy; regardless of what we do, we leave a legacy behind us based on a lifetime of guarding (or not guarding) our hearts. Who will we influence and where will we influence them to?
  • Eternity; God wants our hearts. We choose the course of our life, toward or away from him. Where are our treasures and therefore our hearts today?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:2)

Anxiousness

Today’s reading: Philippians 4

When I arrived home from the office around 5pm today, I found my son napping (he was supposed to be studying for finals). Turns out, he wasn’t feeling well because he and his friends each drank of can of Bang® energy drink this afternoon. I snickered. In order to keep myself from saying, “Duh, are you stupid?” or “How many times do I have to tell you those things will make your belly hurt”, I asked him how it made him feel. He said it made him feel great for the first hour, but then it left him with a bellyache and feeling anxious the remainder of the afternoon. (I could barely talk to him as he was dancing around the room trying to get his nervous energy out!) I don’t know about you, but I hate the feeling of uncontrolled anxiousness (or anxiety).

The Oxford English Dictionary defines anxiety as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. Sound vaguely familiar to feelings you’ve experienced before? Let’s take it a step further, anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness because they involve excessive fear or anxiety. Did you know that anxiety disorders are the most common of type of mental disorders? According to Psychiatry.org, they will affect nearly 30 percent of adults at some point in their lives. This is an epidemic in our society.

Like I said, I hate the feeling of uncontrolled anxiousness.  Historically, I’ve always described myself as a pretty logical, objective (and mostly boring) person. There have been times in my life I’ve fought a lot of stress, but I didn’t often struggle with anxiousness (or sleeplessness). Unfortunately over the last three years or so, I’ve wrestled with these things more than I remember at any other time of my life. (And no, I do not drink those energy drinks!)  While I’m far from having an anxiety disorder, I still don’t like it. And though I can point to several things that often cause my feelings, I’d like to focus our study today on what the Bible has to say about being anxious. God is pretty clear –

Do not be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6)…

…but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

What is the opposite of anxiety, fear, nervousness or uneasiness? Peace. Not the absence of conflict, positive thinking, or simply feeling calm. The peace Paul is talking about in verse 7 is the confident assurance that God works all things together according to his divine plan. A comfort that he has every situation under control. The cure for anxiousness is the peace of Christ, and it is only obtainable by turning my problems over to God and submitting to his will.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever (Philippians 4:19-20).

This is just the reminder I needed today.

Are we there yet?

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”  Psalm 90:12 

In the last couple of months, I have heard this many times as we have traveled as a family to watch our sons play hockey.  Many of these games have taken place around Chicago two to three hours away depending on the traffic and construction.  The first time this question is asked is before we have even left Bloomington.  So this week, we plan to drive to Florida I’m thinking of starting a tally chart for fun to see how many times this is asked.

I often can take for granted the time we spend with each other. As I reflect on previous shorter trips I can recall many lost times to frustration, short tempers, yelling both at our kids and my wife because of my loss of patience and grace. I’ve even quoted the “Don’t make me pull this car over” that may have happened a few times growing up.  In these moments that are fleeting, I have lost sight of God, His Grace, and the Kingdom promised to all of us.  I have lost sight of His purpose for my life and the lives of my wife, children, friends, and others.  For me, I need to be in His word every day.  His word is living and active. Hebrews 4:12 Proverbs 30:5 says Every word of God is flawless, he is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.  Psalm 119:105 says Your word is a lamp to my feet, a light on my path.

There are many verses that you can go to when faced with challenges throughout the day. I will often carry a few in my pocket as a reminder to provide support in the face of adversity.  Remember that Satan is the father of lies.  Don’t let him ruin these moments you will be spending in the near future with family and friends. Keep your faith, trust, and hope in our Savior who sent his own son to die for us.  For me, I’ve been reminded about my wife and children and the importance of always showing my trust and faith in Jesus who came to show us how to live, how to love Him, how to love others.  I recently read the book Hero by Meg Meeker who said, “Every day that your children see you, they’re shaped by you. And equally important they are also shaped by your absence when you are not there”.

In nine days we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  He lived a perfect life. He died for us and was resurrected so that we would believe.  It will be easy to get caught up in the road trips, the parties, the gifts.  Don’t miss the opportunity you have today to share the greatest gift ever.  The chance to have a relationship with God.  Proverbs 3:6 says, In all your ways submit to him, and He will make your paths straight.  Every conversation we have with a person (or your own child) leaves them better or worse.  Make it better!

Dear God,

Teach us to number our days.  That earthly day we have is an opportunity to praise you and submit to your will for our lives.  Often we can get caught up in everything going on around us and lose sight of who should be at the center of everything. Heavenly Father, please help us to lean into you and celebrate the eternal life we will have with you one day.

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

Are we there yet?

 

Joy verses Despair

 

Todays Verse : James 1:2-3

Count it all joy, my brothers,[a] when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

The other day, a friend and I had a conversation about the Advent season and the coming of Christmas and we asked one another “ Have you been able to find Christ in the season?” This was an interesting question and it led me to reflect on the theme of this week of Advent:  JOY.

As I begin to reflect on the anticipation of the coming Christ and the joy that he brings, I am in awe. There are thousands of songs and hymn that celebrate the joy of Christmas and of Christ. From a quick Google search there are about 110,000,000 results (0.68 seconds) references to Joy and Christmas. Joy is a major result of Christ coming into the world.  To fully comprehend the impact of Christ in the world let us look on the world before he became flesh.

Before Christ entered the world as flesh, the world was in Despair, the opposite of Joy.  There was not a true feeling of comfort and peace for anyone.  Before Christ came into the world, the Spirit of God was not available to all.  The Spirit of God was only for the few and chosen that God had appointed such as the prophets.  This was a time when TRUE Desperation and Despair were common daily aspects of life. There was constant despair from hunger, sickness, pain, and suffering.  There were glimmers of hope and peace and joy, but it was not a constant that people were aware or had access.  There was so much hurt and sadness that God gave his remedy to alleviate the despair: Christ.

Luke 2: 10-14

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”[d]

 

Christ came into the world and brought JOY.  His coming came to alleviate the hurt and pain that the people had suffered.  He opened up new ways of peace and healing.  Christ (God the Son) allowed us to become reunited with the Father (God the Father) through the presence of the Holy Spirit (God the Spirit). The coming of Christ did not erase the Despair of the world, but he came to give us a different perspective of despair. He allowed us to be comforted by the Spirit in the times of despair.  He gave us a new connection with God and others.  In the times of despair in hunger, the Spirit will intercede on your behalf and communicate with others to help you in your need.  In times of pain and suffering, the Spirit will give you ease and healing.  In times of sickness, the Spirit will give you hope that this will be for benefit of God’s kingdom and glory.

As we get closer to the celebration of Christmas, we may be faced with many insurmountable obstacles that challenge our family, friends, jobs, and faith but we must remember that we do not have to allow despair to control us.  Christ has already given us the JOY that is the remedy of the despair.   We must chose daily to find Christ in everyday and allow his JOY to supersede any despair that we encounter.

Have a very Merry and Blessed Advent and Christmas.

 

Jesus, Our Kinsman Redeemer

 

As we prepare for Christmas in this advent season it is amazing to look back through the Old Testament and see that God was already foreshadowing the coming of Jesus.  He was setting the scene and timeline for when our True Redeemer would come for us.  The stories we read teach us about faith and encourage us to know that God provided for His people even before Jesus entered the world.  This past week I have been studying the book of Ruth.  I had no idea that this book would foreshadow the coming of Jesus!  In this book we see the redeeming work of God in the lives of Ruth and her mother Naomi.

Ruth was a Moabite.  She married the son of Naomi and Elimelek, who was originally from the tribe of Judah in the City of Bethlehem.  Because of  famine in the land, Elimelek and Naomi went to live in Moab where they had two sons who married two Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah.  Then, Elimelek died, leaving Naomi a widow.  And, both of his sons died, now both of the daugher-in-laws were both left widowed.  

The plight of a widow in that culture was bleak.  Now there were three women from the same family with no husband.  Naomi decided to go back to the land from which she came, Bethlehem.  She gave her daughters-in-law the option to remain in Moab, the land in which they were born.  Orpah decided to stay, but Ruth said, 

“Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back.  Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live.  Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.  Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.  May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”  (Ruth 1:16 &17)

I imagine how hard it was for Ruth to leave her life in Moab.  The Bible does not tell this part of her story, but she left the town she was born, her family, friends, and all that she knew.  She was willing to give it all up to go back to Bethlehem with Naomi.  This decision took great conviction and courage.

In God’s perfect timing, Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem at the time of harvest.  Back in those days God’s people were commanded not to pick or harvest the outer edges of their fields, but to leave food for the poor to eat.  (Leviticus 19:9 & 10)  So, Ruth went out to pick leftover grain for her and Naomi.  

So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters.  And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.   Ruth 2:3

Boaz was a relative of Elimelech.  We see that God already had a plan, it was no coincidence that Ruth ended up finding food in this particular field.  When Boaz sees Ruth in the field he asks who she is.  The foreman tells him that she was Naomi’s daughter-in-law, a Moabitess.  Boaz told Ruth that she should stay in his fields to find all the grain that she could.  He told his workers not to harm her and whenever she was thirsty to drink from the water jars in the field.

Boaz did not have to treat her so kindly.  Ruth was an outsider and a Moabite, she was not one of God’s chosen people.  Boaz chooses to show her great kindness because of her devotion to Naomi.  (Ruth 2:10-13)

At the end of a day in the field, Ruth went home and gave her roasted grain to Naomi.  She told her of all that the day held in the field of Boaz.  Naomi responds,

“May the Lord bless him!”  Naomi told her daughter-in-law.  “He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband.  That man is one of your closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.”Ruth 2:20

A family redeemer is a kinsman redeemer.  Kinsman means family or relative, a man who is one of a person’s blood relations.  A kinsman redeemer was a relative that would buy the property of his deceased family member and marry his widow if she had no children.  This was a law that God had given His people to provide for widows so they would not be destitute.  A widow without children would have no one to help provide for their needs. 

We read throughout Ruth chapter 3 and 4 of how Ruth became the wife to Boaz.  He became her kinsman redeemer.  

At the end of chapter 4 we see that God blesses Ruth and Boaz with a son.  They named their son Obed.  When Obed grew up he had a son named Jesse and Jesse later had a son named David.  Through David many years later the true kinsman redeemer was born.  JESUS!!  

We are all like Ruth.  We are outsiders.  We all have sin and reasons that we do not belong to Christ.  Because of this sin we are separated from Christ.  Our sin leaves us lost and destitute, just as Naomi and Ruth were when the returned to Bethlehem as widows.  With out a redeemer we will face death and punishment for our sins.  BUT GOD!  Jesus came to earth!  Christmas!  Through Jesus we have our ultimate kinsman redeemer!  He came to earth to die in our place to pay for our debt of sin.  He bought us back to be part of God’s family and save us from all sin for all eternity.

We have 11 more days to prepare for Jesus to be born as our True Kinsman Redeemer.  Thank You God for your plan of salvation through your Son.