January 8th, 2009--Day 4

Personal note: I worked out again...feeling good! The step class was hard. It definitely had me calling on the higher power!! I could feel how much weight I've gained in that class. It was so much more difficult to make my body do the movements than it used to be. That's why I'm so glad that God is helping me get healthy again.

SO, back to...

Ruth 4

This is the beautiful, wonderful ending to the love story. Boaz checks with the man who has the first claim to Ruth as the kinsman redeemer, and after he gets him to say no, then Boaz marries Ruth and eventually they have a child.

It's a great ending for everyone...Ruth and Boaz are happy, Naomi gets a grandbaby and is happy again, and from their love and family line comes King David and Jesus Christ.

It's just amazing to me what God can do with one obedient person. Ruth was a Moabites. Hebrews weren't supposed to marry Moabites because they were pagans, but Ruth committed herself to the Lord and He brought incredible blessings into her life, and our lives (Jesus Christ) because of her decision.

Lord, help me to make those crucial RIGHT decisions at the right times. I want to live an epic life in you!

p.s. I read once that it was quite likely that when Jesus was a baby, laying in the manger in Bethlehem, that he was laid on some of the straw from Boaz's field. What a neat idea!

Psalm 4

I had a great day today, and the following verse really said it all:

"You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."

John 3

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

Jesus says these words describing people who put their faith in Christ. John 3 talks a lot about the purpose of Christ coming...the necessity of his coming and the necessity of our believing in Him for salvation. I love the idea that because I am born again of the Spirit, I am like the wind (yes, a Dirty Dancing song IS going through my head right now). :) As described, it means that being born of Spirit makes us strong, powerful, refreshing, fragrant, unpredictable, and adventurous. I think that non-Christians, and even people called Christians, who never really let God CHANGE them, really miss out on the awesomeness of this life. God is as creative and non-boring as it gets!

Lord, let me be a mighty wind for you. Let me be strong, courageous, refreshing, and fragrant. And let my wind go where you send it. Let my love for you be like the winds of a hurricane!