Reflection

There are so many lessons to be learned from the book of Ruth. Her story and testimony overflows with the sense of loyalty and love towards Naomi, her mother-in-law, and similarly towards the Israelites and God, as she, a Moabite woman, declared: “Your people will be my people and your God my God”. Ruth’s attitude was unwavering! There is a Hebrew word for this loyal, unmerited love displayed by Ruth. It’s called hesed (literally “loyalty born from love”).

Logically speaking, it didn’t make sense for Ruth to follow Naomi back to Israel- it would be harder for her to remarry and as a foreigner she would be considered an outcast, yet it is through her that we see love overflowing. Naomi found in Ruth the support and encouragement in a time of loss and hopelessness. The hesed of the Lord is evident throughout the book! As the story unfolds we see God’s loyalty and faithfulness to Ruth as she meets Boaz and eventually marry him.

How can we tangibly show our love and loyalty to God and His people today by worshiping Him and serving others?

Thoughts for the day

Reflection

We had just recently ended another season of Alpha at SCF, a place where non-believers/new believers can explore life’s big questions and the Christian faith in a safe and open environment. In one of the sessions the guests tackled the question “How can I have faith?”. In the video they mentioned how, in one sense, we exercise faith every day (for example, if you are seating on a chair, you are exercising faith right now; you do not know how the chair was made or who made it, but you trust it won’t just fall apart when you seat on it!). Faith is trust, and for Christians, that means trust in Jesus.

It is amazing when we witness people taking that leap of faith and accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Our faith journey does not stop there. We start with believing that God is who He says He is. Then we go on in believing and trusting He will do what He says He will do!

“Faith… is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.” -C.S. Lewis

Thoughts for the day

Reflection

Today’s passage talks about the One who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. God is able- He is our “can do” God. What an incredible assurance we have in stepping into prayers and petitions knowing He can do even more than what we expect and hope for!

The proof of this power is already at work within us- the fact that we’ve been saved and redeemed by Jesus’ blood, our sins have been washed away, and that the Holy Spirit lives in us!

“To him who is able…to him be the glory” – to be the church, the Body of Christ, is to glorify Him through and in Christ Jesus, and it is to be perpetuated forever more.

“Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do.” – Andrew Murray

Thoughts for the day

Reflection

One of the ways Satan throws us off in our walk with God is by planting thoughts of doubt (specially against God’s Word and character).

Genesis 2:16,17

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

He goes on into turning the abundance of God’s statement (“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden”) to twist God’s word, making it sound like God is limiting, withholding something good from Adam and Eve.

To be able to withstand the doubts that come our way we need to know Him and His Word, following Jesus’ steps when He was tested by the devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Thoughts for the day

Reflection

Verse 37 and 38 of this passage is a simple commandment. Though difficult in practice it’s command is very direct and clear. What I find particularly interesting though, is the second commandment, verse 39, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” It seems in all the history of the world, thus far, we have found it incredibly difficult to keep this second commandment of God. All the wars, mass genocides, prejudice and oppression of people groups are simple evidence of this failure.

Many of us have such strong zeal for the first commandment of the Lord but often lack the same for the second commandment. This leads us down many paths. Could it be that we still hold strong prejudices towards our neighbors that we have difficulty looking past? Could it be that we have not been shown love and so we have difficulty showing it to another? Or could it be that we do not love ourselves and so we reject others as such too?

These are certainly difficult questions to answer and some introspection may be needed. If you find yourself falling short in this second commandment, here is a helpful nudge in the right direction: remember how much God loves you and then begin loving others in the same way. “For God so loved the world that He gave only son. That whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) To love is to give. If you find a neighbor in need, find the time or resources to help them out a little. By building up the muscle of giving you begin to build your capacity to love others. Lastly for some, maybe in loving others the way God intends you to it will remind you how much He loves you too.

Thoughts for the day

Reflection

In John 15:18, during the last supper Jesus reminded the disciples that “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first”. The ways and the will of God and man have long since diverged. So much so that those of us who are disciples of Jesus are now like prey amongst the predators. At times it can seem as if there are no longer any more safe places for us in this world. Jesus knew this and so he left the disciples with this poignant proverb.

“Therefore be as shrewd as snakes.” This can be often misinterpreted because of the negative cultural and spiritual preconceptions many of us have about snakes. But Jesus means here that as Christians living in this world we ought to have the guile and craftiness of a snake. As snakes often live amongst people and many other animals but out of the view of everyone, we too should be living amongst the world but be careful of how we do so (particularly in places where it is dangerous for us to be known as followers of Jesus). This is not to say we should be living sneakily but rather with intention of how we move and are seen.

“…and as innocent as doves.” Our lives should reveal an abided relationship with the Lord which is one that is holy and pleasing to Him. We should have nothing to hide in the way we live. Our actions should be holy and our interactions with the world should be a reflection of that. As that of the grace of a dove in flight our lives should seen as such to others.

As odd as it is to be likened to two creatures of seemingly opposite characteristics; as a snake and a dove; it is the same to be a Christian in this world. Knowing and feeling the spiritual world yet living in this one. Living and abiding to the Law of God and yet submitted to the authority of our earthly sovereignties. This is a tricky balance to hold, do you find that you lean more to one than the other?

Thoughts for the day