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Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Sunrise over Lake Huron
(Photo by Howard Blichfeldt)
"Ruth"
Note: This week we are considering the five women mentioned in the genealogy of Christ. Today we consider Ruth.
Message Summary: Today, remember the story of Ruth and Naomi, these distant great-grandmas to our Savior. Determine to overcome any trace of bitterness you may be dealing with by God's grace.
Listen to this
message on your
audio player.
"Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth" (Matthew 1:5). "But Ruth replied, 'Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God'" (Ruth 1:16).
Yesterday we came across a thoughtful story on Paul Heil's "The Gospel Greats" newsletter. It may at first seem "tasteless" but it's got a good message.
What kind of "ingredients" are mixed and baked into your life? Let us consider this question in regard to our genealogical background. We all have genetic ingredients although we tend to consider it primarily in regard to the ancestors we knew. But a lot of people make up our genealogical ingredients going all the way back to our mutual grandparents, Adam and Eve.
Today we look at the third woman mentioned in Matthew's genealogy of Christ which is Ruth (Matthew 1:5). Apart from the book that bears her name this is the only mention of her in the entire Bible. The book of Ruth could have been a narrative of two women, Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi, who fought bitterness. Instead it is a delightful account of the remnant of true faith and goodness. It is a picture of loyalty so esteemed by millions who have read the account that wedding ceremonies, past and present, are often built upon the theme of loyalty as seen in the person of Ruth.
Ruth is a Moabitess belonging to a people who were ancient enemies of the Israelites. The story is set in the time of the Judges characterized by a period of religious and moral decadence. But the story of Ruth reflects a temporary time of peace between Israel and Moab, unlike the dark picture that otherwise accounts for the evil period of the Judges. She had married an Israelite who earlier had moved to Moab with his family during a time of famine in their homeland. How many of you know his name?
In time her husband died and she became a widow, along with both her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. What deep heartache these women surely experienced. When Naomi decided to return to Israel after the famine lifted, Ruth, with great courage and loyalty, insisted on going with her and thus the classic statement of faith in our daily text; "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God."
Over time things went well for Ruth. She married an Israelite and bore a baby son who was a delight to her mother-in-law and a distant great-grandpa to Jesus.
Now Ruth had surely faced one of the greatest enemies of our spiritual progress. We are specifically told that Naomi had fought with bitterness (Ruth 1:20,21). When we have gone through tough times we can grow bitter. It can eat at our spiritual life like a deadly cancer as we torment ourselves with questions like "Why me?", "It's not fair", etc.
But God takes our brokenness and builds a bridge of great compassion and comfort to those whose hearts are willing to trust Him. Today, remember the story of Ruth and Naomi, these distant great-grandmas to our Savior. Determine to overcome any trace of bitterness you may be dealing with by God's grace.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, it is in bitterness, revenge and self-pity that we become
useless to others and toxic to ourselves. But through expressions of
forgiveness and love we are granted inner strength and power beyond
ourselves to move forward, and it is there that we find healing and
restoration for our wounded souls. May we not live in the past or
turn to our own destructive vices but find deliverance and victory
through the enduring work of Your Holy Spirit that brings comfort,
conviction, and cleansing. We can do all things through Christ
who gives us strength. Amen.
Special Year-end Financial Appeal: We
want to thank all who have financially supported our ministry this past
year. We realize there are many fine ministries
and causes requesting support at this time but if the Lord would lead
you we surely need and appreciate the financial support from our
readers and listeners. We
typically see a spike in giving at the end of the year for
which we are most thankful.
Our ministry labor is comprised of half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive a fee. Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each would provide half of our ministry expenses and income.
If you would like to make a donation to our ministry see here for more information.
To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376
Please Note: We also provide this familiar option
due to the convenience, for international supporters, and for those who
may not be concerned regarding receiving an official tax deductible receipt. Click here to donate using PayPal. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: "brooksyne@dailyencouragement.net"
Thank you
"Two Children" Video Steve & Annie Chapman An excellent song regarding two siblings raised in the same family with an alcoholic father. One grew sour and bitter, the other found peace and joy. We make the choice of the way we view life, no matter our ingredients or circumstances. When writing this message I asked Brooksyne if she could think of any songs on bitterness and she suggested this one. When we listen to this song various people come to mind through our over 40 years of ministry and we have seen this dynamic of contrasting forgiveness and bitterness.
Paul Heil's Gospel Greats newsletter
Today's photo of a winter sunrise over Lake Huron was taken by our friend Howard Blichfeldt, a committed Christian and professional photographer, from the Pittsburgh area. More samples of his photographs are on his website. We are supposed to get a blast of cold weather here in our area later this week but so far have not had a lasting snow.
Additional study note on today's message: As I ponder this account it occurs to me that biologically Naomi was not the baby's grandmother (since Ruth was her daughter in law through marriage to her deceased son). However this didn't keep her from taking the baby, placing him on her lap to lovingly care for him (Ruth 4:16). In fact the bond was so great that the women living there said, "Naomi has a son" (v.17). In overcoming bitterness we often have to see God's hand in blessing us in ways other than the normal pattern.
Initially Naomi did deal with bitterness "Don't call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."
Each year we share several online resources that we have used over the years and that may be a blessing to families and churches during this Christmas season.
"In Remembrance of Me" pdf This is a passion-filled Scripture reading for two adults. Brooksyne and I have used this reading with great receptivity during Christmas Eve services over the years. We suggest, if possible, a musical background as the message is read. It is also a great lead-in to a Communion service. It should be thoroughly practiced and read with great feeling. Here's a great Communion Hymn for Christmas (Video)
"When Christ Was Born" pdf This is an adaptation to the tune of "How Great Thou Art". It's a great song to sing as a congregation since most are familiar with and love the tune.
Responsive Christmas Scripture readings for church or family:
John 1:1-18 pdf
"O Come Let Us Adore Him" pdf
My First Christmas In Heaven This is a blessed reminder for all who lost a loved one this year. This is the poem that Brooksyne read and wrote about in this message.
Christmas Knowledge Test
We have also posted two Christmas carol quizzes here (scroll down).
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Sunrise over Lake Huron
(Photo by Howard Blichfeldt)
Note: This week we are considering the five women mentioned in the genealogy of Christ. Today we consider Ruth.
Message Summary: Today, remember the story of Ruth and Naomi, these distant great-grandmas to our Savior. Determine to overcome any trace of bitterness you may be dealing with by God's grace.
Listen to this
message on your
audio player."Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth" (Matthew 1:5). "But Ruth replied, 'Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God'" (Ruth 1:16).
Yesterday we came across a thoughtful story on Paul Heil's "The Gospel Greats" newsletter. It may at first seem "tasteless" but it's got a good message.
One Sunday
morning at a small rural church, the new pastor called on one of his
older deacons to lead in the opening prayer. The deacon stood up, bowed
his head and said, "Lord, I hate buttermilk." The pastor opened one eye
and wondered where this was going. The deacon continued, "Lord, I hate
lard." Now the pastor was totally perplexed. The deacon continued,
"Lord, I ain't too crazy about plain flour. But after you mix 'em all
together and bake 'em in a hot oven, I just love biscuits."
He paused, "Lord help us to realize when life gets hard, when things come up that we don't like, whenever we don't understand what You are doing, that we need to wait and see what You are making. After you get through mixing and baking, it'll probably be something even better than biscuits." Amen.
He paused, "Lord help us to realize when life gets hard, when things come up that we don't like, whenever we don't understand what You are doing, that we need to wait and see what You are making. After you get through mixing and baking, it'll probably be something even better than biscuits." Amen.
What kind of "ingredients" are mixed and baked into your life? Let us consider this question in regard to our genealogical background. We all have genetic ingredients although we tend to consider it primarily in regard to the ancestors we knew. But a lot of people make up our genealogical ingredients going all the way back to our mutual grandparents, Adam and Eve.
Today we look at the third woman mentioned in Matthew's genealogy of Christ which is Ruth (Matthew 1:5). Apart from the book that bears her name this is the only mention of her in the entire Bible. The book of Ruth could have been a narrative of two women, Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi, who fought bitterness. Instead it is a delightful account of the remnant of true faith and goodness. It is a picture of loyalty so esteemed by millions who have read the account that wedding ceremonies, past and present, are often built upon the theme of loyalty as seen in the person of Ruth.
Ruth is a Moabitess belonging to a people who were ancient enemies of the Israelites. The story is set in the time of the Judges characterized by a period of religious and moral decadence. But the story of Ruth reflects a temporary time of peace between Israel and Moab, unlike the dark picture that otherwise accounts for the evil period of the Judges. She had married an Israelite who earlier had moved to Moab with his family during a time of famine in their homeland. How many of you know his name?
In time her husband died and she became a widow, along with both her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. What deep heartache these women surely experienced. When Naomi decided to return to Israel after the famine lifted, Ruth, with great courage and loyalty, insisted on going with her and thus the classic statement of faith in our daily text; "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God."
Over time things went well for Ruth. She married an Israelite and bore a baby son who was a delight to her mother-in-law and a distant great-grandpa to Jesus.
Now Ruth had surely faced one of the greatest enemies of our spiritual progress. We are specifically told that Naomi had fought with bitterness (Ruth 1:20,21). When we have gone through tough times we can grow bitter. It can eat at our spiritual life like a deadly cancer as we torment ourselves with questions like "Why me?", "It's not fair", etc.
But God takes our brokenness and builds a bridge of great compassion and comfort to those whose hearts are willing to trust Him. Today, remember the story of Ruth and Naomi, these distant great-grandmas to our Savior. Determine to overcome any trace of bitterness you may be dealing with by God's grace.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, it is in bitterness, revenge and self-pity that we become
useless to others and toxic to ourselves. But through expressions of
forgiveness and love we are granted inner strength and power beyond
ourselves to move forward, and it is there that we find healing and
restoration for our wounded souls. May we not live in the past or
turn to our own destructive vices but find deliverance and victory
through the enduring work of Your Holy Spirit that brings comfort,
conviction, and cleansing. We can do all things through Christ
who gives us strength. Amen.Special Year-end Financial Appeal: We
want to thank all who have financially supported our ministry this past
year. We realize there are many fine ministries
and causes requesting support at this time but if the Lord would lead
you we surely need and appreciate the financial support from our
readers and listeners. We
typically see a spike in giving at the end of the year for
which we are most thankful.Our ministry labor is comprised of half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive a fee. Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each would provide half of our ministry expenses and income.
If you would like to make a donation to our ministry see here for more information.
To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376
Please Note: We also provide this familiar option
due to the convenience, for international supporters, and for those who
may not be concerned regarding receiving an official tax deductible receipt. Click here to donate using PayPal. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: "brooksyne@dailyencouragement.net"Thank you
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
"Two Children" Video Steve & Annie Chapman An excellent song regarding two siblings raised in the same family with an alcoholic father. One grew sour and bitter, the other found peace and joy. We make the choice of the way we view life, no matter our ingredients or circumstances. When writing this message I asked Brooksyne if she could think of any songs on bitterness and she suggested this one. When we listen to this song various people come to mind through our over 40 years of ministry and we have seen this dynamic of contrasting forgiveness and bitterness.
Paul Heil's Gospel Greats newsletter
Today's photo of a winter sunrise over Lake Huron was taken by our friend Howard Blichfeldt, a committed Christian and professional photographer, from the Pittsburgh area. More samples of his photographs are on his website. We are supposed to get a blast of cold weather here in our area later this week but so far have not had a lasting snow.
Additional study note on today's message: As I ponder this account it occurs to me that biologically Naomi was not the baby's grandmother (since Ruth was her daughter in law through marriage to her deceased son). However this didn't keep her from taking the baby, placing him on her lap to lovingly care for him (Ruth 4:16). In fact the bond was so great that the women living there said, "Naomi has a son" (v.17). In overcoming bitterness we often have to see God's hand in blessing us in ways other than the normal pattern.
Initially Naomi did deal with bitterness "Don't call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."
Resources
for Christmas Celebrations
(We will leave these resources posted below our daily messages through Christmas)
Each year we share several online resources that we have used over the years and that may be a blessing to families and churches during this Christmas season.
"In Remembrance of Me" pdf This is a passion-filled Scripture reading for two adults. Brooksyne and I have used this reading with great receptivity during Christmas Eve services over the years. We suggest, if possible, a musical background as the message is read. It is also a great lead-in to a Communion service. It should be thoroughly practiced and read with great feeling. Here's a great Communion Hymn for Christmas (Video)
"When Christ Was Born" pdf This is an adaptation to the tune of "How Great Thou Art". It's a great song to sing as a congregation since most are familiar with and love the tune.
Responsive Christmas Scripture readings for church or family:
John 1:1-18 pdf
"O Come Let Us Adore Him" pdf
My First Christmas In Heaven This is a blessed reminder for all who lost a loved one this year. This is the poem that Brooksyne read and wrote about in this message.
Christmas Knowledge Test
We have also posted two Christmas carol quizzes here (scroll down).
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
We
want to thank all who financially support our ministry. We realize there are many fine
ministries
and causes requesting support but if the Lord would lead
you we surely need and appreciate the financial support from our
readers and listeners. Our ministry labor is comprised of half our
time to Daily
Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to
companies for which we receive a fee (of course this percentage of time
varies
week by week). Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a
part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many
years is that each phase would provide half of our ministry expenses
and
income. If you would like to make a donation to our ministry see here
for more information. Donations through my chaplaincy endorsing ministry are tax deductible and will
be receipted directly by them. Thank you!Please Note:
Our chaplain agency is unable to provide a receipt
if the donation is made through PayPal. However we provide this option
due to the convenience, international supporters, and for those who
may not be concerned regarding receiving an official receipt. Click here
to donate using PayPal.Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2016 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA