Unconditional Gratitude

Verse of the day: Ruth 2:10, So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

It amazes me how we, as human beings, often respond with near reverence toward those who provide for us in our times of need. Ruth’s response to Boaz was a proper response in that she was grateful for the kindness he showed toward her, even though she was not an Israelite. How often do we bow down and give thanks to God for all He has done in our lives? Just the mere fact that we have eternal life in Him should be enough to be thankful, at all times, even if He chose to do nothing else for us. Sadly, much of what we should be grateful for is clouded by our ingratitude for not having the things we think we deserve. We lose sight of how thankful we should be when trials and tribulations come our way or when we do not get what we want. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 clearly states God’s will for us in being thankful, “Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” In “everything” or in all circumstances we are to give thanks. Giving thanks to God when things are not going our way is part of our worship to Him. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” In Christ Jesus we are to offer up our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God. When is our praise and thanks a sacrifice? It is not only when things are going well, for even those who do not know the Lord can give thanks when circumstances are favorable. However, it takes greater effort, true sacrifice, to give God praise and thanks when it seems like everything is going wrong and everyone is against us. True worship consisting of praise and thanksgiving takes place not just when life is good, but also when life seems to be falling apart. What I have often observed, especially during times of prayer for thanksgiving, is that we can go before God with a laundry list of wants and requests. Yet, when it comes to giving thanks, the list is short and we run out of things to thank Him for. What I also find to be a sad commentary is that when asked to mention one thing we are thankful for, the majority of times the first thing we think about to give thanks for is some physical or material thing we have received. I would challenge each of us who are born again believers to begin our times of giving thanks by first thanking Him for the eternal life He has given us so undeservedly. We are rich in spiritual things in Christ; things that cannot be taken from us. For this, we should bow down and worship Him, giving Him praise and thanks. In 2 Corinthians 6, the Apostle Paul relates that as ministers of God (which we all are in Christ) we are minister under all, and in all, circumstances. Verses 10 reads, “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” In sorrow, we rejoice and give thanks, and even in poverty (by the world’s standards), we are rich. In all circumstances we have a reason to give thanks. Our joy can only be taken if we choose to give it away. Therefore, regardless of what we are experiencing, we have no excuse to hold back praise and thanks from the One Person in our lives that deserves all the praise, honor, glory, and thanks…our God, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Have we thanked Him today?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Amazing Favor

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Amazing Favor

Verse of the day: Ruth 2:10, So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

The kindness shown to her caused Ruth to question why a man such as Boaz would show such favor toward her. In response, Boaz says this in verse 11, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.” It was her diligence in caring for Naomi, and her choice to dwell amongst the Israelites and serve their God, that caused Boaz to show such kindness. Have you ever stopped and asked yourself, “What have I done that has caused God to show such favor toward me?” “What have I done that the God of the universe would give me such a precious gift as eternal life?” Regardless of who you are, I can answer that question for you. The answer is, “You have done nothing.” I can say that with certainty because I too have done nothing to deserve such an amazing gift in Christ. The fact of the matter is that each and every one of us who knows Jesus as Savior should be overwhelmed with gratitude for the wonderful act of love God has performed for us. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Let that sink in for a moment. “While we were yet sinners”. In other words, while we were yet God’s enemies, Jesus died for us. What did we do to deserve salvation? The Apostle Paul put it this way in Titus 3:4-7, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” If God has shown this kind of mercy and grace toward us, how much more should we show mercy and grace towards others? Do we freely serve and give to those who have done nothing to deserve it or do we keep a tally of what is done for us before we consider doing for someone else? In Luke 6:32-36 Jesus said, “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” As God’s children, we must show the same kind of love and willingness to be a blessing to others as God has loved and blessed us. If we tell ourselves that the person we are serving does not deserve what we are doing for them, then we must stop and ask, as Ruth did, “Lord, why have I found favor in Your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a sinner saved by Your grace?” Then ask yourself, “What right do I have to treat this person any different than Jesus would treat them, since He has treated me, who deserves nothing more than eternal condemnation, better than I deserve?”

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Humble, Kind and Impartial

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Humble, Kind, and Impartial

Verse of the day: Ruth 2:8-9, Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”

The one thing I have often observed, within Christianity, and to our shame, is the attitude that we sometimes have towards others. I have met people who were not followers of Christ, who behaved more like Christians in their attitude, then Christians themselves. Sadly, I have spoken to people who were unsaved, who, when they found out I was a follower of Jesus, immediately began to tell me stories of Christians they have encountered who had nasty attitudes and were unkind, and with that attitude tried to tell the unsaved person they needed Jesus. How do we, as God’s children, reconcile those two things? How can we be unkind, rude, and even obnoxious, and in the same breath tell the unsaved world that they need Jesus, who is kind, loving, and willing to give us something we do not deserve? Boaz was a man of wealth, and yet he did not allow his riches turn him into a prideful or snobbish man. In verse 4, Boaz’s greeting to his reapers says a lot about who he was as a man of God, “The Lord be with you!” The response from his servants also says a lot about what they thought of him as a kind master, “The Lord bless you!” Boaz was a man who did not show partiality in his attitude toward his servants. We, as followers of Jesus have been instructed to be the same way toward others. James 2:1-4 clearly says, “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and say to the poor man, ‘You stand there,’ or, ‘Sit here at my footstool,’ 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?” Boaz was a great example and picture of Christ in his attitude, behavior, and as we will see in a later devotional, in his relationship with Ruth. We see his great kindness toward his servants and toward Ruth, a stranger amongst the Israelites. It is a kindness that is much like the kindness God shows toward us, and a kindness that we are to show toward others. Colossians 3:12-13 instructs us, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Not only was Boaz a kind man, but he was a humble man who concerned himself with the needs of others. Philippians 2:3-4 tells us, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” The bottom line is that we will do more damage and close more doors of opportunity to witness when our attitude is contrary to who we should be as Christ followers. We should be known, in our circle of influence, and amongst people we meet for the first time, as people who are humble, kind, and people who treat others with kindness regardless of their social status. In judgement and showing of mercy, grace, love, and kindness, God is not partial (Romans 2:11). If this is so, how can we justify an attitude or behavior that is contrary?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Daily Devotional Audio Track: Choices and Providence

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Choices and Providence

Verse of the day: Ruth 2:3, Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

We live in an age where it seems that a majority of people want to have things handed to them, rather than going out to work and earn them. We as Christians can learn much about being diligent, as demonstrated by Ruth in these verses. She has returned to Bethlehem with Naomi her mother-in-law, both women widowed. Yet, we do not read that Ruth sits at home bemoaning her loss and using that as an excuse to expect someone to feel sorry for her and hand her what she can go out and work for. Her diligence pays off in a great way, as she puts herself in a position to receive a great blessing from the Lord; a blessing that is even greater than she could ever imagine or even know. Little did she know or anticipate that her diligence would put her in place to be in the lineage of Israel’s Messiah, and this world’s Savior (Matthew 1:1-17). Far too often we complain about the spiritual blessings we lack, but do little to work for those blessings. We expect the sky to open up, and for the Lord to just pour down the blessing, while we sit back and receive them with little to no effort. Proverbs 13:4 clearly tells us, “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” We do not understand why we cannot find out what God’s plan is for our lives, yet we do nothing to take the steps necessary to live out His will. How can we find His will you ask? Simply put, His will is found in His Word. All those verses that are commands, and not suggestions, and the verses that clearly state “this is the will of God”, those would be the will of God. Like Ruth, we need to be diligent in serving the Lord by serving others. She did not go out to the fields for herself, but for both her and Naomi. The things we do for others that may seem insignificant may produce greater blessings than we anticipate. The testimony we develop as a diligent and hard worker may open up opportunities to share Christ with others. As we diligently carry out our daily duties, and in some cases “go the extra mile”, we may find that God might just rain down showers of blessings as we bless others with the kindness we show. Life can certainly wear us down. Being busy day in and day out, especially as God leads us to serve others, can be quite the challenge. However, know that all the effort we put forth, by the Spirit’s leading, can lead to bringing forth of much fruit, even though we may not see it right away. As a matter of fact, we may not even see it in our lifetime here on earth. Nonetheless, 1 Corinthians 15:58 reminds us, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” What appears to be a “chance” meeting is actually God’s providence at work. God had a plan for Ruth that would lead her to Boaz, a kinsman redeemer. Her diligence, and her obvious faith in the God of Israel, led her down the path that was mapped out by God’s providence. Daniel 4:35 says, “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” We can choose one of two paths in this lifetime. We can choose to seek God each day and diligently carry out our responsibilities, at home, at work, in the local church and trust God to reward our diligence and obedience. The other choice is to sit around and wait for something to happen, be lazy, and expect things to fall in our laps, and miss out on the blessings God wants to give us here and the ones He has in store for us when we give our account before Him (Romans 14:12). Ruth’s choice landed her in the lineage of Christ. What will we choose?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).