Dear sisters in Christ,
Ironically, when Miss Ana Renee kindly asked me if I would guest post on her blog, I had actually just finished reading in the book of Ruth! Our youth pastor had been doing a set of monthly devotions and that month the focus was on the Biblical stories of Ruth and Esther and their parallels to each other and the lessons we can draw from these two women, who both stand as amazing heroes of the faith. However, before delving into this study, I was less than enthusiastic. God has blessed me beyond belief (and comprehension) to have been born into and raised in a Christian home and family. I’ve grown up hearing about Ruth all my life—in my arrogance I had thoughts that ran something like this: “Sure, I know Ruth was a great example of thus-and-so, but I’ve read this story a ‘thousand’ times! What more could I possibly get from it?”
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| Photography by Amanda T. |
Well, in His wisdom and mercy, God showed me what more I could get from it!!!!! :) He brought the book of Ruth to life for me in a fresh light and I was so excited about all the different lessons I learned or was refreshed in from it!
There was one thing, though, that kept popping up as I read through this four chaptered gold mine. During these last few weeks of my life, the Lord has been teaching me something I wish all young women could learn or grasp before they waste so much time, toil, and tears over it as I have—and it goes hand in hand with what I kept seeing in Ruth. So while I may not convey it as perfectly or as eloquently as I would like to, I’d like to share with you something that the Lord has been teaching me lately. I hope (and pray!) that it will be an encouragement and a help to you!!!
Often we hear and are taught about Ruth’s reckless abandonment of herself and her selfless, sacrificial service to Naomi, her mother in law. And while she certainly is an example for us to follow in her selflessness, it is Ruth’s submission I’d like to focus on. Let us look at a few passages from the Book of Ruth:
“…And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went…” (Ruth 2:2b-3a)
“Then said Boaz unto Ruth…Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them…and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn… And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers…and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left… And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.” (Ruth 2:8-9,14, 21-23)
“Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do. And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.” (Ruth 3:1-6)
“…Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning… lie down until the morning. And she lay at his feet until the morning…” (Ruth 3:13-14)
“Also he said, Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it…” (Ruth 3:15)
Do you see the recurring theme here, dear sister? Over and over again, the Bible tells us that when Ruth was instructed to do something, that was exactly what she did! No inquiry as to why, no hesitation, just simple, immediate obedience! No matter how strange or even harmful to herself and/or her own reputation the action might be, Ruth did as she was instructed, by the authority that the Lord had placed over her life!
As I read through this book again, it seemed all she ever did was obey what everyone else told her to do! It seems that through the entire book, she only makes two of her own decisions. The first was to cling to Naomi, the only Godly leadership in her life, and beg to return to Jerusalem with her. The second Ruth-initiated-action was to get up once they had arrived in Jerusalem, and offer to “work willingly with her hands” (Proverbs 31:13) by asking Naomi if she could go collect food for them. (Which Naomi then instructed her to do, whom she obeyed )
But it seems that nearly every other action we see Ruth take is taken in obedience! Every other action is apparently a response to a command! Ruth was submissive to the authority that the Lord had placed in her life! What about you, dear sister? Are you being submissive and in submission to the authority the Lord has placed in your life at this point and time?
{Come back tomorrow to read the rest of Katie's letter}
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Katie Hamilton is a 19-year-old young woman, living at home, "feeding her fathers flock" by trying to invest in the lives of her 5 younger siblings and by helping her mom with household chores and home schooling. She desires to have a close relationship with Jesus, her Heavenly Father, Prince, and Captian, and wants to encourage other young women to live for Him and to encourage them in their faith. Her email:katieofsix@gmail.com Her blog: www.hisprincesswarrior.blogspot.com Her Christian writers site she co-leads: www.write4hisglory.webs.com.
Katie Hamilton is a 19-year-old young woman, living at home, "feeding her fathers flock" by trying to invest in the lives of her 5 younger siblings and by helping her mom with household chores and home schooling. She desires to have a close relationship with Jesus, her Heavenly Father, Prince, and Captian, and wants to encourage other young women to live for Him and to encourage them in their faith. Her email:katieofsix@gmail.com Her blog: www.hisprincesswarrior.blogspot.com Her Christian writers site she co-leads: www.write4hisglory.webs.com.
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