Full of Grace and Truth...

John 1:14 tells me that Jesus is full of grace and truth.  Jesus is full of the exact two things that I desperately need...grace and truth.  As if that were not enough, John goes on to tell us that

Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace—John 1:16

Grace for grace: “Literally it means ‘grace instead of grace’.  God’s Grace to us is continuous and inexhaustible...like waves on a seashore. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. There ARE NO interruptions.

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ—Ephesians 4:7

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,—Colossians 1:19

Closing with some beautiful quotes by Spurgeon...

Blessed be the Lord for ever that he has provided a fullness for us, for in us by nature there is all emptiness and utter vanity.

The accents are sweet as those of the angel-messenger when he sang, "Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy." Are they not stray notes from celestial sonnets? "All fullness." You, sinner, are all emptiness and death, you, saint, would be so if it were not for the "all fullness" of Christ of which you have received; therefore both to saint and sinner the words are full of hope. There is joy in these words to every soul conscious of its sad estate, and humbled before God.

Following Jesus’ Example...

Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.—John 5:19-20

Oh Father...I am one with You but in my flesh I do not do the things that Your word tells me to do.  I do not follow my Jesus’ example. You lovingly show me through Your word all those things that you desire...to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with You.  Oh, help me to be your witness in this world...in my home especially.  May Your peace rule in my heart and Your word reign supreme and be magnified in my life.  

Cost of Discipleship...

Ruth and Orpah had accompanied Naomi some distance before Naomi explained to them the difficulties which lay in the way.  Naomi wanted to make sure they had counted the cost of leaving their country and returning to Israel with her.

Jesus was pretty clear when He outlined the costs involved in becoming His disciple.

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—Luke 14:26-28

Luk 14:33 NKJV - 33 “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple


The costs were too high for Oprah.  She was not ready to leave her family or her gods.

“Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.”

Ruth, on the other hand, clings to Naomi and speaks beautiful words of dedication and consecration to her and to her God.   Ruth was willing to leave all and give all. She holds nothing back.

But Ruth said:

"Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The LORD do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me."

Naomi’s Return...

I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"—Ruth 1:21

Naomi came back to her country empty.  Sin always leaves its mark.  It always causes sorrow and suffering.  Naomi and her family had trusted in themselves rather than God.  Naomi was now eating the fruit of that way.   Being empty and in the Lords will is a better place to be than being full and not under His protective care.  Better times are now ahead for Naomi...

For the Lord will not cast off forever.
Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies.
For He does not afflict willingly,
Nor grieve the children of men.—Lamentations 3:31-33

The Kindness of Boaz...

Who does not love a good love story!  Truly the story of Ruth is one of the most beautiful.  Wishing we could camp out here for a while and just soak it all up!  Such an oasis after the Book of Judges, although it does occur during that time in Israel’s history.

When Boaz found out that the foreigner gleaning in his field was the young Moabite woman who had returned with Naomi, he immediately made acquaintance with her.

Then Boaz said to Ruth, "You will listen, my daughter, will you not?

He claims kinship with her and calls her daughter!  He claims relationship with her!  Despite being a stranger and a foreigner Boaz is not ashamed to call her his brethren.  (Hebrews 2:11)

My heart bursts every time I read that thinking of how his kind words must have impacted Ruth’s heart...

Even though God is not mentioned once in this story it is easy to see Jesus on every page.   Boaz is a type of Christ...He is our Kinsman Redeemer, our Lord of the Harvest and our Master.

Boaz continues in his kindness to Ruth and she responds in humbled gratitude.

So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him,"Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?"—Ruth 2:10

I so understand Ruth’s response to Boaz’s kindness. I have felt similarly overwhelmed and utterly humbled in the face of my God’s kindness to me in His Son.   And it is often the little kindnesses that He shows me that remind me that He truly is “my God who sees me.”

Boaz’s kindness here and throughout the book of Ruth fills my own heart and makes me want to be like him...like my Jesus.

❤️And be ye kind to one another—Ephesians 4:32

The Heart of Hannah...

We are still in the time of Judges and now in the first chapter of 1 Samuel meet the family of Elkanah.  Verse 2 tells us that Elkanah had two wives...Hannah whose name means gracious and lived up to her name and Penninah whose most noteworthy talent was in making the suffering of another worse by unkindness. The next verse informs us that Elkanah went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord in Shiloh.

This then was a godly household and it was a hard time for godly people.  Even the priests were corrupt...serving themselves rather than God.  (1 Samuel 2:12-17)

And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest;—Isaiah 24:2

Enter Hannah with a heart burdened not only with much sorrow from her own personal grief, but for the state of the priesthood as well.

Hannah "wept and did not eat." Her husband sought to comfort her, and said:

"Why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?"

But Hannah knew she needed more than human comfort...the instinct of her soul drove her to her God.

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your [tabernacle.

Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And on the harp I will praise You,
O God, my God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.—Psalm 43

There, before the tabernacle, Hannah "poured out her soul to the Lord." She "was in bitterness of soul, and she prayed and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head."

Hannah’s heart and prayer were not for a son that would be successful in the eyes of the world but for one whose life would be dedicated to the Lord.  She wanted a son that would be God’s special witness and shine as a light in the midst of the darkness...one who would be a blessing to the priesthood.  Hannah wanted a son that would be wholly given over to God sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. She wanted a son to give back to the Lord.  And the Lord heard her prayer. ❤️

Oh Father align our heart’s desires with Your perfect and righteous ones. Give us hearts like Hannah’s that are driven to You in prayer. Hearts that desire your light and truth.   We want Your will in our lives.  We want Your will in our children’s and grandchildren’s lives.  Oh do that work in each of us today.  You are our hope, our exceeding joy and our exceedingly great reward.

David and Shimei - 2 Samuel 16

6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

7 Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: "Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue!

8 "The LORD has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!"

9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!"

10 But the king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, 'Curse David.' Who then shall say, 'Why have you done so?' "
11 And David said to Abishai and all his servants, "See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the LORD has ordered him.
12 "It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day."—2 Samuel 16:6-12


Wow...that is the attitude I want to have after being betrayed by my son and forced to flee from my household into the wilderness.  It would have been so easy for David to vent the anger and grief he was feeling on Shimei.  But David didn’t...he held his peace.  In fact, his response to this provocation was in stark contrast to his violent reaction to Nabal’s slanderous words.  David was eager to kill Nabal until Abigail and her godly wisdom placated Him. Perhaps, David knew that while Shimei’s malice toward him was uncalled for, there was truth to his accusations.  Truly, David’s time in the wilderness had humbled him...David was repentant.

David surrenders to His Father’s sovereign control and looks away from his circumstances to His LORD.   He places His trust completely in His God acknowledging Him in every situation he faces as he flees into the wilderness.

The psalm David penned when he fled from Absalom, his son, speaks to this as well. 

A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me!

Many are they who rise up against me.

2 Many are they who say of me,

"There is no help for him in God." Selah

3 But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,

My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

4 I cried to the LORD with my voice,

And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

5 I lay down and slept;

I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.

6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people

Who have set themselves against me all around.

7 Arise, O LORD;

Save me, O my God!

For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;

You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.

8 Salvation belongs to the LORD.

Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah—Psalm 3

This psalm is often called the Morning Hymn. In the first two verses David shares his complaint with the Lord...in the next two, he declares his confidence.  Verses 5-6 he sleeps singing of the Lords sustaining protection and in the last two he prays for His God’s continued help and strengthens himself with a reminder that it is the Lords battle and not his.  May we all be like David as we face our own sometimes overwhelming trials that life in this fallen world inevitably brings.

May we ever wake with holy confidence in our hearts, and a song upon our lips.—Spurgeon