Speak, your servant is listening…

 Speak,your servant is listening…

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Reading about Samuel with the description of his time, “the word of the Lord was rare” is so sad…when our generation has so much accessibility to the Word…but, just because we have access, doesn’t mean we access it either……it can still sit on our shelves, we can refuse to listen the Spirit speak and go on our merry way…not paying heed to the Word as they seemingly did in Samuel’s day…each doing right in their own eyes…

I can only pray we heed His Word, His  lessons each day…

Thank YOU…

 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

1Sam.3.1

 We do not see our signs;there is no longer any prophet,and there is none among us who knows how long.

Ps.74.9

 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God,“when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,but of hearing the words of the Lord.

Amos.8.11

 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,and your young men shall see visions,and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servantsin those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

Acts.2.17-18

 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

2Tim.3.1-9

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2Tim.3.16-17

 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

1Sam.3.10

“Listening and responding is vital in a relationship with God.

 Although God does not always use the sound of a human voice, he always speaks clearly through his Word. To receive his messages, we must be ready to listen and to act upon what he tells us. “ Bible  Study notes…

Word of God speak…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PbUNhbeBZM

Ancient Words…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouTgX9hcwk4

 

Bearing children…

 

Bearing children…

Watching the birth of a child is watching a miracle…your heart is tendered by the sight…and experiencing it first hand is like nothing   else…oh, it is painful, scary, but the joy of holding that tiny squiggly being, with their eyes on you for the first time is like a moment no other…you want to praise and cry at the same time…until you realize you hold this tiny person in your hands and you are responsible for his/her care,  nurturing forever…from babyhood through adulthood…they are a gift from the creator…to you personally…

As I reread Hannah’s prayer written centuries before Christ, I had to reread Mary’s prayer as well…their praise, their confidence in God…during these tender moments of new beginnings…

“Like Hannah and Mary, we should be confident of God’s ultimate control over the events in our lives, and we should be thankful for the ways God has  blessed us.  By praising God for all the good gifts, we acknowledge his ultimate control over all the affairs of life”. Bible notes..

Thank YOU….

 Then Hannah prayed and said:“My heart rejoices in the Lord;in the Lord my horn is lifted high.

My mouth boasts over my enemies,for I delight in your deliverance. 

“There is no one holy like the Lord;there is no one besides you;there is no Rock like our God. “

Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance,for the Lord is a God who knows,and by him deeds are weighed. 

“The bows of the warriors are broken,but those who stumbled are armed with strength. 

Those who were full hire themselves out for food,but those who were hungry are hungry no more.

She who was barren has borne seven children,but she who has had many sons pines away. 

“The Lord brings death and makes alive;he brings down to the grave and raises up. 

The Lord sends poverty and wealth;

he humbles and he exalts. 

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;on them he has set the world. 

He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

“It is not by strength that one prevails;

those who oppose the Lord will be broken.

The Most High will thunder from heaven;the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

1Sam.2.1-10

 And Mary said,“My soul magnifies the Lord,     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me,and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 

he has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty. 

He has helped his servant Israel,in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers,to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Luke.1.46-55

Rejoice in the Lord…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kAIA5qxmHk

 

 

“Friendships” and acquaintances….. the Peninnahs in our lives…

Over the years, and they are getting to be many…in business and personal life, my husband and I have met many, many people…both rich and poor, a variety of cultures, those who we have given our trust and friendship to…those who have given their trust and friendship to us…

There have also been those who ridiculed, who embezzled, who have scoffed, who lied to us…those who caused us to miss many a night’s worth of sleep…as well as tears of anguish,  frustration…

Thankfully the good have far outweighed the bad…no matter what , we knew God would see us through…even in the tears…

Now as a widow, I still meet a variety of people…

Reading about Hannah and Peninnah, brought up some of those hard memories…

My Bible notes…”rather than dwelling upon our problems, we can enjoy the loving relationships God has given us…by doing so, we can exchange self-pity for hope”…

Thank YOU…

 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.

1Sam.1.1-7

 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 

She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. 

So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

1Sam.1.17-18, 20

 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?.

Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Luke.6.27,Luke.6.32-36,Luke.6.31

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Rom.8.28

Turn your eyes upon Jesus…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X85txs60yY

Ruth …5…widows in the Bible…

 Ruth…5….Widows in the Bible…

As the 13th anniversary of my husband’s passing is approaching, reading about Ruth and Naomi is bittersweet….it is a reminder of his absence, but also of God’s care…

There are several widows mentioned in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments …miracles are associated with  some of these widows..

But, one caring standout first…it is how Jesus, on the cross, bleeding, dying, took care of his widowed mother…giving over her care to one of his disciples…John 19:25-30

Jesus also raised a son of a widow …Luke 7:11-17..

Other widows that quickly come to mind are…the widow of Zarephath…a widow ready to die from lack of food…Elijah asks for food which she gives and in  turn her food did not run out as she obeyed and gave her “last” flour and oil…1 Kings 17…

 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

1Kgs.17.13-14

The widow and the oil…

 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” 

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” 

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” 

She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 

She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

2Kgs.4.1-7

The widow and the coins…Mark 12

The widow and the unjust judge…Luke 8

Anna…we usually only speak of her at Christmas…Luke 2,3

She must have been about the same age as Ruth when she became a widow…she stayed a widow and dedicated herself wholly to the Lord and is rewarded by seeing the Savior …whereas Ruth’s plan was to remarry and become part of the lineage of the Savior…

Paul exhorts Timothy about care of widows 1 Timothy 5…

Dorcas cared for the widows…in Acts 9…

Thank YOU…

https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-widows.html

https://biblestudyforyou.com/verses-about-widows-in-the-bible/

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-widows/

https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/6-inspiring-stories-of-courageous-widows-in-the-bible.aspx

https://christianpure.com/learn/widows-bible/

https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Widows

https://sharonwilharm.com/widows-in-the-bible/#dorcas

https://www.askayoungwidow.com/widows-in-the-bible/

 “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. 

If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. 

My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children orphans…

Exod.22.22-24

 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,extol him who rides on the clouds;rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. 

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,is God in his holy dwelling.

Ps.68.4-5

 Learn to do right; seek justice.Defend the oppressed.Take up the cause of the fatherless;plead the case of the widow.

Isa.1.17

  “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.You will forget the shame of your youthand remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 

For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;he is called the God of all the earth.

Isa.54.4-5

Is He Worthy…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auHMeQit4Wk

Ruth….4…love…

 Ruth… 4…love…

It has been said the gospel is preached throughout the Bible…God’s Word to us is a story and history of love…

From Biblestudytools.com…a one sentence description of Old Testament books…

“Ruth…

The ultimate Redeemer (Jesus Christ) is foreshadowed through the picture of Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer, in the ancestral line of Christ..”

“Praise the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.” Ruth 4:14

He created the world, the universae and mankind out of love…

He had a plan for redemption from the beginning…

The small book of Ruth, written about a family, a community, a kinsman-redeemer show us redemption and love…a short love story…and so much more…

Out of love, Ruth stayed with Naomi, cared for her, provided for her…out of love Naomi suggested a way toward the future with Boaz, their kinsman- redeemer…out of compassion Boaz cared for    a stranger in need of food and sustenance, the bread of life…out of love Boaz married Ruth fathering an ancestor to King David, thus entering into the lineage of Christ…

All of this while the Book of Judges was happening, the rise and fall of Judges, the nation of Israel falling and returning to God…

The “side” stories of everyday people goes on through the ages…through wars, rumors of wars, the ups and downs of life…the love of God continues…Christ’s kingdom still moves forward…and will forever….

God still cares for people along the way as Naomi and Ruth did….He takes care of the widows and orphans…He shows compassion by bringing us to the Bread of Life, Jesus…He has sent us a Redeemer…a Saviour…Jesus…

Thank YOU….

 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,who formed you from the womb:“I am the Lord, who made all things,who alone stretched out the heavens,who spread out the earth by myself,

Isa.44.24

 For your Maker is your husband,the Lord of hosts is his name;and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,the God of the whole earth he is called.

Isa.54.5

 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John.6.35-40

 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Rom.1.16-17

 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 

Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 

Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. 

Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

Ruth.4.13-22

My Redeemer lives…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRW-jr_PnbQ

Ruth…3…

 Ruth…3…reputation…

 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

1Tim.3.7

One of the character qualities I think of when I read the book of Ruth is reputation…

Elimelech, Naomi’s husband made the decision to provide for his family by moving them to a hostile country because of the severe famine in Judah…he was a provider…until.he died…leaving his family in the care of two sons who married Moabite women…

Naomi…now a widow along with two widowed daughter-in-laws decide to return to Bethlehem as the famine is over…she must have been a  strong woman…a loving one as she cared for and blessed her daughters in law…she knew the in and outs of Jewish Law as she advised Ruth…she was also a grieving and bitter woman for a time as she told others about her emotional trials…she was a godly woman as she references how God worked in her life and Ruth follows her because of God in her life…

“Even in our sorrow and calamity, God can bring great blessings…”

Bible Application Notes…

Ruth…faithful, loving….providing as she went to the fields to glean for food for she and her mother in law, threshing and grinding it…thoughtful…obedient, “I will do whatever you say”…”a woman of noble character “, a report of the townsmen to Boaz…patient, as she waited for for answers…respectful and honoring as she spoke to Boaz…

Field workers…obedient to Boaz’s request…diligent, as they worked for Boaz…

Elders, women, Townsmen and kinsman-redeemer…Willing to follow the law and traditions to carry out Boaz’s report and request of Naomi’s land issue…blessed Boaz and Ruth…

Boaz…kind, caring as he saw a need in Ruth and Naomi’s living situation…compassionate as he cared for Ruth’s reputation…

Godly, as he blessed Ruth…

“We will not know the full purpose of our lives until we are able to look back from the perspective of eternity..we must make our choices with God’s eternal values in mind…live in faithfulness to God, knowing that the significance of your life will extend beyond your lifetime…” Bible Application Notes…

Thank YOU…

I know whom I have believed…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXE7WofDZLk

Ruth ….2…

 

Ruth…2…

“ which is way we know this book forever remains a place where the disciples can find instruction, the heedless can find warning, the weary, inspiration…the faint hearted, courage…and the sorrowful, comfort…help us to trust You and lead us into Your plans and purposes…” Carolyn Miller….

I realize that Ruth and Naomi did not have the written Word as we know it today…but they had faith…I thought of them as I read this passage written by Carolyn Miller this morning…

They were weary and needed inspiration…

They were faint hearted and needed Courage…

They were sorrowful and needed comfort…

They were hungry and needed provision…

They were homeless and needed shelter…

They needed a plan…

They needed a purpose…

They needed a redeemer…and God provided…

They saw their immediate needs, but God saw the bigger picture for their lives…

 “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.” 

So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. 

And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek. 

So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. 

She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” 

“The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” 

She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.” 

Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.” 

So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Ruth.1.20-22,Ruth.2.2,Ruth.2.3,Ruth.2.8,Ruth.2.9,Ruth.2.10,Ruth.2.12,Ruth.2.20,Ruth.2.22,Ruth.2.23

Thank YOU…

I will celebrate….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiMMyZzl5vA