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Have you ever wondered if following Jesus is worth it? In Psalm 73, the Psalmist observes around him ungodly people who prosper in life, and he is tempted to envy them: they have it better, easier, and happier. He looks at his own life, and wonders if he he has been faithful to God in…
In this chapter we see Boaz initiating and securing Naomi & Ruth’s redemption, at great cost to himself. We also see Naomi’s restoration, who went from full to empty, back to full again. These, though, are just dim shadows in comparison to the redemption and restoration we find in Jesus. Finally, we see the resulting…
In Ruth 3, we see 1) a Change of Heart (in Naomi), 2) a Bold Move (by Ruth), and 3) a Gracious Response (from Boaz).
Henri Nouwen wrote that loneliness is one of the most widespread diseases of our time. There are many who are looking for a home, a family, a place to belong, yet often this evades us in our world. In Ruth 2, Ruth enters onto the scene of Israelite society – in every way an outsider, yet Boaz…
In the opening verses of the book of Ruth, Naomi experiences great tragedy and loss. She is a sufferer, who is struggling to hold on to any hope. And, though she sees God’s hand in her tragedy, she has concluded that God is against her and that she has returned “empty” – even though Ruth returns with her…
In chapter 4 we see the height of Jonah’s self-righteousness and hypocrisy. Though he is glad for his own salvation, he is angry about Nineveh’s. Though he is angry about a plant’s perishing, he is unconcerned about a city’s perishing. Though he is concerned for the life of the plant, he charges God with wrongdoing for…
Following Christ is about something much bigger than just living a life that goes the way we want it to go with God’s help. Through Jesus God rescues his people from the greatest crisis we will ever face–eternal separation from God because of our sin–and he has given us a new identity and purpose to…
God’s second call to Jonah shows us that, despite Jonah’s resistance, God is still committed to reaching the lost. It also shows us that God’s patience and willingness to use failures. Nineveh’s genuine repentance is a surprising contrasts to Jonah’s – which only appears to be skin-deep.
We sometimes think that salvation is about us doing what we can and God meeting us halfway. But Jonah’s rescue from the depths of the sea is a picture of how we are rescued from sin & death: Jonah’s contribution is to sink in utter helplessness with nothing of his own to offer … God’s…
When God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh, he tries to flee. Though God is full of compassion, even for his enemies, Jonah lacks compassion and so wants no part of God’s mission. But God graciously pursues rebels like Jonah and like us.