abandoned to Christ.

(thank you Meri for taking this beautiful picture for me to use today!)

"Then Boaz said to Ruth, 'Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.' Then she fell on her face, bowing 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?' "
~ Ruth 2:8-10

The Lord recently brought me to this passage again. Yes, like many of us, I've read the book of Ruth about a million times. And a million times, the Lord opens my eyes to truth He desires to reveal to me as I come to feast at His table.

As I studied and meditated on what Boaz had done and what Ruth's response was, God asked me, "Would you, dear one, have responded the same way?" And I could honestly answer, with a resounding, "NO, I absolutely would have not. My response would've been: "Really?! Honestly?! WHOOPEEEE!!!! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you Boaz! Thank you! How kind and gracious of you! I'm so excited I just can't believe your kindness to me! Praise the Lord God Almighty, He has seen my destitute state and has provided for me, just like my mother-in-law Naomi has told me! Oh, it's all true! WHOOPEEEE! Thank you, thank you!" And during all this, I would've been doing my "happy dance".

Then I was sobered with our Father's words to me, "I know daughter. That's why I asked you. Although you have much gratitude in your response, do you not see how self-centered that gratitude is? Instead of being humbled and soberly aware of your destitute and repulsive state, you were merely overjoyed with the gift, more than being humbled to be in the presence of the gift giver."

This is how I always respond when good things happen to me. I'm overjoyed for myself and the blessings so graciously bestowed upon me by my Father, who Is in Heaven. Basically I'm always cheering "Yay me! Look what I have! Look what God has done for me!" Rather than being like Ruth, who soberly saw who she was, a foreigner, filthy, and repulsive in the sight of Boaz. She was not an Israelite, no longer a relative, therefore unworthy to even be gleaning from his field, let alone be before his presence. And how did Ruth respond to the gracious way Boaz treated her? She responded with a godly attitude - one of humility - one like Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ruth's humility so moved the heart of God, that through Boaz was accepted as a family member as Boaz became her kinsman-redeemer, though she was not qualified to have one. Because of her humble gratitude towards God, He chose to make her part of His Family through Boaz and she became the great grandmother of King David; from who's family lineage was born, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ruth 4:13 & 17-22, Matthew 1:1-6)

Ruth didn't do a "Yay me!" dance and glory in the gift, but she fell down, bowed and was humbled by the gift giver, understanding that she was so unworthy of such favor.

Ahhh, the power of humility. The sobriety of Christ's love and His sacrifice, His kindness, His grace He bestowed upon us - foreigners, living against God, not part of the Family, but yet, regarded as such and adopted into a holy priesthood, made presentable, holy and pure before the presence of the LORD God Almighty, through Jesus Christ, our Kinsman-Redeemer.

Ruth was the a Proverbs 31 woman before any woman ever knew to be one! I wonder if King Lemuel's mother heard about Ruth and based her acrostic poem of the kind of woman Lemuel should seek for a wife. Hmmmm...I wonder. I guess we'll all find out when we get Home!

Don't forget to head over to The 160 Acre Woods for more:

humbly grateful to our King, Jesus Christ,

(this picture was taken by my husband during his tour in Iraq 2 years ago)

" 'Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, we shall die. For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire as we have, and has still lived? Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say and speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.'

And the LORD heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to me, 'I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. Oh that they had such a mind as this always, to fear Me and to keep all My commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!' "

~ Deuteronomy 5:25-29
(emphasis added)

My sister-in-law has this fabulous plaque over her kitchen window. It says, "God Is. Therefore all is well." I don't know if I got all the words right (please correct me if I'm wrong sis *smiles*). But you get the meaning.

I find that I when I'm reading Scripture, I'm often looking for verses in the Bible that comfort me, make me feel better about something or teaches me a new attribute about God I'd never known before. But today, as I was having my quiet time with our awesome Father in Heaven, He reminded me about something it seems I often forget. And it's simply:

God Is. Therefore, all is well.

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses spends most of his time recapping all that God has done for the Israelites since the LORD delivered them out of the land of slavery in Egypt. It's kind of Moses' "farewell" letter as he passes the torch to Joshua. In this book, Moses is extremely passionate for God's word and repeats almost all that he wrote in the book of Exodus. Moses not only repeats the Ten Commandments, but also all of the commandments that the LORD gave Moses to teach His people Israel how to live holy lives, pleasing to the LORD.

In the passage of Scripture I noted in the picture and under the picture (Deuteronomy 5:24-29) God reminded me of something a lot of us in the Church forget to do these days: Fear the LORD our God. Satan has used our amnesia of this area, as a catalyst to create the common practice of casual Christianity. All because we've forgotten to fear God first, as it is repeated often in Scripture like this one:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight."
~ Proverbs 9:10

One of the reasons why I love CWO and all the ministries affiliated with it (Live Well, Internet Cafe, WFW, At the Well) is because this is where I've found wonderful sisters in the Lord who are passionate about Who God Is and not just what He can and will do for us. I have be inspired and encouraged to press on daily to live as a stranger in this land, a sojourner - just passing by. I've been reminded of who God is and to fear Him always because this keeps me in constant humble gratitude of His Gift of love perfectly demonstrated to me through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows His love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life."
~ Romans 5:6-10
(emphasis added)

Oh, glory be to the LORD God Almighty who has saved my wretched soul from justified and well deserved eternal damnation! For I have grieved my Maker and sinned against Him by practicing lawlessness! I have broken the perfect commandments of the LORD, yet He looked upon my destitute and humble state and had compassion upon me. He gave me the gift of repentance that works salvation that I might be reconciled to Him as His child and no longer considered His enemy. By the blood of the holy Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ I am no longer a slave to sin, but have been freed to become a slave of righteousness, that I might offer myself as a living, holy and pure sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to the Lord our God! (Romans 12:1-2 and Ephesians 5:1-2)

When I remain in the position I always ought to - in the holy presence of my King, my Creator, my God and Father, then I find it very difficult to find anything about me to boast about or even like very much. Instead my flesh is repulsive to me in the glorious light of my righteous God and Savior...as it should be. And this causes me to greatly desire to die to self and live only in Christ Jesus (Galatians 2:20).

"Nor is there aught in ourselves in which we may glory; for who maketh us to differ from another? And what have we that we did not receive from the God of all grace? Then how careful ought we to be to walk humbly before the Lord! The moment we glorify ourselves, since there is room for one glory only in the universe, we set ourselves up as rivals to the Most High."

~ Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening
August 16, Morning - Psalm 29:2

And what does all this work? It's works in me holy gratitude to our holy and awesome God. It works His compassion in me, given freely to me when I didn't deserve it, so I can freely give it to others without finding fault in them. For if I can not freely offer someone full forgiveness for their sins against me, then I am standing in judgment of them, setting myself up as God's rival - as there is only one Judge, and I am certain I am not Him! (James 4:11-12 and 1 Peter 2:23)

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil."
~ Luke 6:35
(emphasis added)

Who are the ungrateful and evil Jesus is referring to in the Scripture above? We all are. But He saved us anyway. So how much more ought we bear with one another and forgive (Colossians 3:11-13)? How much more ought we, equal sinners, offer God's love to those who have sinned against us without expecting any kindness in return?

Is there someone you need to fully forgive TODAY? And possibly, humbly ask for forgiveness from them as well? If so, do not sin again - but be quick to do it! (James 4:17)

Be sure to hop on over to the 160 Acre Woods for more inspiration from God's word today!

Beloved sisters, it just doesn't get any better than this:

We are loved by God!

freely giving, as I have been given freely,