‘And a fierce gale of wind developed, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling with water.  And yet Yeshua Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”  And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.”  Mark 4:37-39

Father, we pray today that those who are experiencing a storm in their lives will find peace in You.

  “Even though I walk   through the darkest valley,  I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff,  they comfort  me  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of  my life, and my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.”  Psalm 23:4-6 

Father, we pray that those who are experiencing days of darkness in their lives will find comfort and blessing in You.

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Messiah may rest upon me. For the sake of Messiah, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”    2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Father, we pray that those who suffer weakness, insults, hardships, persecution and calamities in their lives, will find their strength in You. 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

Father we pray that those who are frightened and dismayed may find strength and courage in You.

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”  Psalm 94:19

Father, we pray for those who are anxious, that they will find Your joy in their lives.

“Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.” Psalm 31:24

Father, we pray for those who wait upon the Lord, that they will be strong and courageous. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Father, we pray that in all things, we trust You with all our hearts and acknowledge that You will make all things right.

“Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.” John 14:27

Father, we pray for Your peace in our lives, for then our hearts will not be afraid, our hearts will not be troubled.

“ For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope”.  Jeremiah 29:11

Father, we pray that Your plan for our lives be fulfilled in us. Those plans to prosper in Your ways, that future in You, that hope of our salvation.

“The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.” Exodus 15:2

Father, I praise you, for You are my God, You are my  salvation, You are my song and I praise You. 

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength.” Isaiah 40:29

Father, we pray for those who are faint hearted, that You will increase their strength.

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and sound judgement.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Father, we pray for those who fear. Let them find Your power and love, so they can judge correctly.

 “ The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.” Psalm 28:7 

Father, we trust you, and that gives us strength, so our hearts leap for joy as we praise You.

“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5

Father, You have poured into our hearts Your love through the Holy Spirit, so now we will not be put to shame, because we hope in You.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”  Philippians 4:4

Father, we rejoice in You always

This is a Biblical story with a modern twist

taken from the Book of Esther

(This story is for children 11+ years old.)

I want to tell you a story about a young girl who lived with her cousin Mort.This girl’s mother and father had died. If not for her cousin , she would have been an orphan, but Mort adopted her. Her name was Hadassah, but her friends called her Haddie.  Haddie and Mort were taken as exiles years ago when their village was overtaken by an invading army. Years later Mort got a job working for the government, in fact, he worked in the king’s palace. Haddie grew up to be a beautiful young lady.

One day as she was walking down the street, she was grabbed by two men. Haddie cried out, but no one could hear her. She found herself in a room with other girls who had been taken. She asked, “Why am I here?” And the man in charge said, “Because my master has brought all you girls here for him to look you over.” The girls were put in the custody of a man named Hegai. Years ago they would have called him a eunuch, but today we would call a man like this a woman. Haddie found favor with Hegai. She gave her the finest cosmetics and plenty of food to eat, fine clothing and even gave her a maid to wait on her. When Mort found out that Haddie had been abducted, he searched for her until he found out that she was being prepared for the king. Mort who worked in the  palace sought her out and found her with the other girls who had been taken. He convinced Hegai to let him speak to her. Mort said to Haddie , “Do not tell the king or anyone else anything about yourself, ”as he put his arm around her. He told her that he would keep an eye on her the best he could to see to it that she would be all right. 

A year had come and gone and the day came that Haddie was called in to the king’s chambers. She spent the night with the king and in the morning she found herself being taken to another place that girls were being kept. This place was supervised by another eunuch called Shaas. Now Haddie found herself on call to the king. Even though she could ask for anything when in the king’s presence, she asked for nothing. The king grew to love Haddie and he took her for his wife and changed her name to Esther. Esther  became the queen and the king gave a great banquet in her honor.

 While in the courtyard of the palace Mort heard two men talking about assassinating the king. Mort immediately sought an audience with the queen.  Mort told Esther  about the plot to assassinate the king. Esther knew that this would be a break for her cousin to be promoted, so she quickly ran off to tell the king what Mort had told her. When the plot was investigated it was found to be true and the king was so thankful that he said that he would remember Mort and had his name written down for further consideration. 

The king’s right hand man was named Herman and he hated Mort. Herman would walk through the courtyard of the palace and he would demand that people would bow to him and praise him with great applause,  for the Scripture tells us in John 12:43,  “ For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” But Mort would have none of it. The more Herman saw Mort the more he would get enraged, till one day Herman went to the king to see if the king liked his new idea. Herman said to the king, “There are certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all of your kingdom; their laws and ways, their thinking is different from those of all other  people, and they do not agree with the king. If it is pleasing to the king, let us make a law that will not only cancel out these people, but actually destroy them. I will pay ten thousand dollars to anyone who will carry out the king’s business.” Micah 2:1 tells us this,  “Woe to those who devise wrongdoing, who practice evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, because it is in the power of their hands.”   And Psalm 36:4 also says, “ He plans wickedness on his bed; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he does not reject evil.” The king said, “What a splendid  idea.  Do to them as you please,” and he wrote an Executive Order so that the plan would be carried out.  

Once again, Mort heard about Herman’s plans and he once again got word to the queen through her attendant. You see Mort and Esther were Jewish and Herman’s plot would not only cancel out the Jewish people, but exterminate them. Mort told Esther that she had to go to the king.  Esther texted back to Mort, “You just don’t go to the king. You have to be summoned first or else he can command that you be put to death, unless he puts out his scepter to you.” Mort forcefully replied back to Esther, “Do not think that just because you are in the king’s palace that you will escape any more than any other Jew. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish.”  He went on to say to Esther, “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” 

Esther could not respond to Mort’s words except to say, “Go assemble all the Jews who are in the city, and fast and pray for me for three days and I and my maidens will also fast, and then I will go and see the king, and if I perish, I perish.” As Esther was praying all she could think about was Mort’s words, “Maybe you are the queen at this time for a reason such as this.” And she continued to think that maybe her abduction and the whole terrible experience has been for a reason and that reason has been turned around for good. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us that we should, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” The more she prayed the stronger she got, and the stronger she got, the more courageous she became. 

After the third day Esther put on her royal garments and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, right outside of the throne room . The king was sitting on his royal throne and he happened to see the queen standing just outside of the doorway. When their eyes met Esther instantly thought, “ Well, If I perish, I perish!” All of the king’s attendants looked with anxiety wondering what the king would do about this breach of law. The king reached out to her with his scepter and Esther took a sigh of relief.  Psalm 21:1 tells us,  “The king’s heart in the Lord’s hand is like streams of water,  He directs it wherever He pleases.”The king said to her with concern, “What is troubling you, Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it will be given to you.”

To Esther’s surprise, the king was very gracious to her and it caught her off guard. She said, “If it pleases the king, may the king and Herman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for you.” The king was glad that Esther went through the trouble of having this gathering for him and Herman. That evening after everyone ate and drank and had a great time, the king turned to Esther and said, “Now what is your petition, for it shall be granted to you. I will give you your request even to half of the kingdom.” The time had come that Esther was dreading. How does she tell him that his friend Herman wants to annihilate her people. She just could not bring herself to say it, so she said, “This was so much fun, let’s do it again tomorrow.” Well, the king was for it, and Herman was for it, so they both said, “All right, it’s a date!” 

That night the king could not sleep and he requested that the Book of Records be brought in and read to him. As it was being read it was reported that Mort had saved his life. The king immediately said, “I had forgotten this.”  The king asked, “Who is still up that I can plan something to show my gratitude?”  His aid said, “Herman, my king.” “Well, go get him and tell him I want to speak with him.” When Herman came into the king, immediately the king asked him, “What do you think I should do for a man whom the king desires to honor?”  Herman, as usual, thinking that the king was speaking about him, and because Herman was so prideful, and he thought that the kingdom could not exist if it were not for him, tells the king just how he would like to be honored. He says, “Let them bring this man the finest of clothing, fit for a king. And let him ride in the best of the king’s cars, like a parade, with a top official driving him around the streets of the city crying out, “This is a man worthy of the king.” The king said, “Herman, what an excellent idea, this will certainly show the people that I love them.” The king told Herman, “Quick and do as you have just said, for Mort and you can be that top official who drives him around telling the people how much I think about him.” Herman drops his jaw and says “What?”  I find it ironic, I guess Herman didn’t know anything about the Golden Rule, “Do for others what you want them to do for you. This is the teaching of the laws of Moses in a nutshell.”  (Matthew 7:12So Herman finds himself bowing down to Mort, instead of Mort bowing down to him.  The Bible says,  “Pride goes before a fall.”  In this case it should say, Pride goes before a bow. 

By the time Herman was done driving Mort around the city it was time to meet the king and Esther. After the meal, the king said to Esther again, “Ok, now tell me what’s on your mind.” Esther said to him, “If you love me then  allow me and my people to live.” The king said, “What!  “What are you talking about?” “My people are to be annihilated and that is for me also,” said Esther as she was crying. The king said, “ Who is trying to kill my queen?”  Esther quickly pointed to Herman and said,  “He is!” Herman became terrified by the queen’s revelation and before he could explain, the king ordered the guards to arrest him. The king ordered Herman and his family to be executed by hanging. We see here the Biblical law of measure for measure. The king promoted Mort to Herman’s position and the Jewish people were saved. 

We see clearly here that what man meant for evil God turned it around for good.

So the question is,  “How about you?” 

“Is God calling you to do something?”

Maybe you are afraid like Esther was.

God tells Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. 

Today you may not see what those plans are, but one day you too may say, “Maybe I am here for such a time as this.”

Maybe He is calling you into the ministry.

Maybe He wants you to speak to a friend about their lifestyle.

Let’s pray….Father, we ask you today to show those whom you are calling, that they have no need to fear. Father we know that you give strength to those who need strength, and that you equip everyone you have called. We also know Father, that You are always with us, no matter  what, and because of that, we can have peace. Father, today we pray that You show us clearly what Your will is in our lives. Fill us with Your peace and Your love, so when the day comes, when we may say, “It is for a time as this that I have been called,” we will be able to be like Esther and say, “If I perish, I perish” and if I do, I know that I will be with You Father for eternity.

JUDEOCHRISTIANCLARION/KIDS CORNER

This is a Biblical story with a modern twist.

Taken from 1 Samuel 16- 2 Samuel 1

There was a king whose name was Saul and he had a son named John. John was in the army of his father and he had great success in fighting the enemy. One day  a village man sent his son to bring the troops food. His son’s name was David. David took care of his father’s flock of sheep and in his own way was successful in protecting them. While David was unloading his goods that he brought for the troops, he caught the eye of the king. Saul asked David if he would be his  attendant in the battle, because he saw something in David that he liked, but the day would come when all of this would change.  The king sent word to David’s father that his son had been temporarily inducted into Saul’s army.  Saul also would have David attend to him at the palace. There was only one thing wrong, and that was that the king was tormented by evil spirits, so David who was a musician would play for the king until the torment passed. One day the enemies of the people gathered to attack the city. There was one in the enemies camp that was a giant of a man and when the people saw him they began to fear for their lives. The king was frantic, “What are we to do?” he said. “How will we ever be able to take this man down?” 

People had heard of this man named Goli, but they thought that it was just a myth, but now there he was calling out the people to come and fight him. He was taunting them and mocking them, which just made the people even more fearful. Even the king’s son John did not rise up to the occasion. Now three of David’s brother’s were also in the  army. Because David was the youngest in the family, he was home tending his father’s sheep.  Paul had something to say to Timothy because he was young in 1Timothy 4:12, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” We are going to see if this is true about David.

 David’s father said to David one day, “Go and take your brothers lunch, and there is food here also for the commander of the army.”  So David hurried to his brothers and when he got to them he saw what was taking place. As David was speaking to his brothers, Goli came out once again to taunt the people. David asked , “What is being done about this man who insults not only the people, but God?”  David’s brothers were angry that David came and left their father’s sheep. David just dismissed his brothers and went to the king and told him all about his battles that  he fought  while tending the sheep, like with a lion and with a bear.  Then he said to Saul, “The Lord who delivered me out of the hand of the lion and the bear will deliver me from the hand of this enemy.”  Saul thought, “What faith, what courage. No one in my army has stood up like this, but they were all cowards and hid. What do I have to lose?”  So Saul dressed David for the battle, along with his body armor and rifle and helmet, but Saul was a much taller man than young David, for Saul stood a head taller than anyone else,( 1 Samuel 9:2 , 10:23) so everything just hung on David. David laughed and said, “Take all of this off of me.”  David knew all he needed was the Lord God Almighty who had given him the victory time and time again, as he wrote in Psalm 44:6-8, “I put no trust in my bow,  my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies,    you put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise Your name forever.”  David did not know how to shoot a rifle, so he grabbed three stones and went out to meet Goli. Goli laughed and  laughed at the site of David. He was insulted that they should send out a kid to  fight him. It was insulting to Goli and he said, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?”  David replied to Goli by saying, “Let all of the people of the earth  know that God is with us and not you, and let  everyone here know that the Lord does not deliver by guns or any weapons of war for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into my hands.” At that, Goli ran toward David, and David took one of his stones and through it as hard and fast as he could and hit Goli right between the eyes so hard that Goli dropped right where he stood, dead.  Everyone cheered David. It was at that point that David and John became not only good friends, but  brothers. David became quite good with the rifle and other weapons of war, so good that he was revered by the people as a hero and they would sing songs about the greatness of David. The king became very jealous of him, because the people held David higher than him. One day that evil spirit that haunted Saul came upon him very strongly and while David was playing for the king, for this helped calm him down, Saul picked up a knife and threw it at David. Just missing David, the king knew that he no longer wanted David in his midst because Saul knew that God was blessing David and he no longer had God with him. Saul would send David into many battles, hoping that he would get killed. He even offered  David his daughter in marriage to ease his conscience of the hatred he had for him.   Saul was not so generous though for he thought that his daughter would become a snare to him. Saul even would have his servants speak to David  telling him that the king would love to have him as a son-in-law.  But time and time again Saul would send David out to the battle hoping that he would be slain by the enemy and every time that David returned in victory, Saul would go out of his mind with rage. One day Saul said to his son John, “You must kill David.”  But John would hear none of it for David was like a brother to him, in fact he did just the opposite. He went and warned David.He told David that his father was seeking to put him to death. He told David , “Go and hide and I will confront my father again and then I will come to you.” John left and quickly went to his father and began speaking to him about David and all that he has done to help the king and his people. Saul began to be remorseful and told his son John that he would not harm David. John quickly ran to David and told him how he convinced his father that he was a friend and not a foe to him. Wow, David was so relieved, because he thought how he would have had to defend himself against the king, and he knew that he could not do anything to hurt the king. So John convinced David to go with him to see his father. Well everything was just as it was formally. 

Saul was sending David to the battlefield and David would be victorious in battle and Saul, well Saul had his problem with that evil spirit that would come over him.  One day when David was playing for the king, that is just what happened. Saul picked up his knife and once again he tried to kill David, but David escaped Sauls wishes, because David never really trusted Saul again after the first time he tried to kill him, so he never took his eyes off of Saul. This time Saul sent his guards to David’s house to bring him back, but Michal, Saul’s daughter, David’s wife warned him to save his life. She led him down through the window to escape Saul’s men. The men rushed in the house, but Michal had put an idol on the bed with a quilt over it and told the men that David was sick. But Saul told his men that he did not care if David was sick, bring him to me if you have to carry him in his bed.  When the men turned over the quilt they saw that it was only a statue. Saul was outraged at Michal for helping David escape, but Michal lied to her father by telling him that David said, “He would kill her if she did not let him go.” So David ran to the next town and hid. But the king did not stop , he was determined to find David and kill him. He sent his men out to search town by town till they found him. John went to David and David said to John, “What have I done, that your father treats me like an enemy?”  John said to David, “My father does nothing without telling me”, but David quickly stopped him and said, “Your father knows that we are like brothers, he is not going to tell you anything.” He said, “Tomorrow your father will be expecting me because it is a very important occasion, but when I do not show up, tell him I had to go to my father’s house, for my father  requested me to come to him. If your father tells you that it is too bad, because he would have liked to have seen me  there for this occasion, then we will know, but if he becomes angry, then you will know that he has evil in his heart for me. “The Lord, our God will be witness between you and I.”   Then John said to David, “ I swear, I will let you know so that you can go and be safe and you shall show your love for my house, even when the Lord cuts off all of your enemies from the face of the earth.” So John and David made a vow to each other because they loved each other like brothers. The day came and sure enough Saul was outraged at David and when John tried to defend David, Saul said, “Do you not know that as long as he lives you will never be king.” Oh! The truth comes out. The evil spirit had revealed to Saul that David would be the next king. John quickly tells his father that there is no reason to kill him and at that Saul throws his knife at his son John. So with that, John tells David to go and be safe. 

Saul continued to search for David and one day, David and his men came upon Saul sleeping in a cave. The men wanted to kill him right then and now, but David knew better. He knew that God would be angry with him, because vengeance belongs to God and we are to love our enemies and commit them into God’s hand. As Romans 12:17-21 tells us, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; 

I will repay,”says the Lord.  On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;  if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 So he told the men to leave him alone. When Saul awoke and saw that David could have killed him, he said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you.” Saul tells David that he knows that he will be king and so he too, makes David swear to him as the Lord is witness that he will not cut off his descendants after he is gone and destroy his family name. David swears to all and Saul left him and David and his men went to stay in their stronghold.  One day, David received word that Saul  and John had died in battle. David wept not only for John who he loved as a brother, but also for Saul. David did become the King and when he did, he asked if there was anyone left from the house of Saul, and they told him “Yes” John’s son, Mephibosheth, who was five years old  when his nurse fled in haste and dropped him, which caused him to become crippled.”  David told his servants that this boy will always be welcomed at his table. So David kept his promise to John and Saul.

How about you? Would you spare your enemy  if you knew that one day you would make it big? Could you wait, like David, or would you start putting yourself before others?

As they say, it is a doggy, dog world, and you have to look out for number one. David knew that if he trusted God, that God would make a way for him. He knew that if he let God fight his battles, he would rise up in God’s time. Proverbs 14:12 says: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” 

Today model yourselves after David. He trusted God to kill Goli and he trusted God to work things out between Saul and him.  David, who tended the sheep, rose up to be a great king because he knew God.  How about you?

Let’s pray, Father, I ask You to help us to wait upon You. When we do Your will, You fight our battles. You give us the victory. Lord help me to love my enemies and to not repay evil for evil. Father, I ask You to mold me into the person You want me to be, so that I can serve You. Prepare me to do the work that You have created me to do, even now, in my youth. I thank You Lord in Jesus name.

This is a story with a modern twist,

taken from the Book of Ruth

One day a man named Elim and his wife Naomi  and their two sons Lon and Leon left their hometown and traveled to a foriegn land, because there was such a great famine. Coming as refugees, they did not know anyone. Soon tragedy struck and Elim died, leaving behind Naomi and her two sons. As strangers in a strange land it was hard for them to go on, but they managed and Lon and Leon each met a girl who they eventually married. Orpah and Ruth were their names.  After about ten years, tragedy struck again and both of Naomi’s sons died. Naomi was not only a widow, but now her two sons were gone and she was left alone in a country that was not her home. Naomi’s daughters-in-law did care for her, but Naomi was homesick and wanted to go back to her land. One day she heard that the famine had come to an end in her country and she said to her daughters–in- law that she was going back home. So they packed up and began to leave,but Naomi, looking at the girl’s faces said to them, “Go, return back to your homes and God bless you for wanting to leave your land now to come to mine.  I pray that you will find new husbands.” Naomi kissed her daughters and they all began to weep. Then she said once again, “ Go return to your homes.  I am old and you are young and you need to find husbands.” Orpah kissed Naomi and left crying, but Ruth grabbed Naomi and would not let her go. Ruth knew that Naomi was like her own mother, and that she could not let her leave by herself, and in this way she was honoring her like a mother. She said, “Don’t tell me that I have to go back, because where you go I will go, and where you live I will live. Your people will now be my people and your God will now be my God. Where you die , I will die, and there, I will be buried, and only death, will separate us.”  Naomi was so taken back by the loyalty of Ruth and they both cried all the more. After a long journey back home, they finally arrived. This time Ruth is the foreigner and when all the people around the town said, “Is that Naomi?”  They were all curious to find her with Ruth. But Naomi was saddened by the fact that her whole family once left their hometown, but now only she has returned. These two women were not only all alone, but they had no means to provide for themselves. Naomi remembered a relative name Bo. Ruth said, “Let me go and I will work in his field.” Naomi said, “That is an excellent idea Ruth”, for Naomi had plans of her own.  Well, Ruth caught the eye of Bo and he asked his head man, “Who is that young woman? She is not from here.” The head man knew what was the right thing to do when he saw Ruth,as it says in Leviticus 19:9-10,

“  When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap up to the edge of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.  You shall not glean bare your vineyard, nor shall you gather every fallen grape of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God.”

The head man told Bo that she was a foreigner who had returned with Naomi and that she had asked if she could work the field for a little food. Bo knew Naomi was a relative through her husband Elim and quickly went to see Ruth. Bo also knew what to do when he found out who Ruth was as we see in 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if any do not care for their own, and especially for those of their own house, they have denied the faith and are worse than unbelievers.”

 He told Ruth that she was welcomed anytime and that she should work alongside the other women and not only that, but she should help herself to the water and  anything  else that she may need. Ruth, could not believe that Bo was so kind to her being that she was a foreigner. Bo said to her, “Ruth, you have been so kind to Naomi, your mother-in-law after the death of her husband and you left your people and your country  and everything that you were accustomed to, to take care of her. May God Bless you and He has, by my hand.” When it was time to eat Bo told Ruth to come and sit down by him and she ate till she was full. When it was time to go home that evening she took with her food for Naomi.  Naomi was impatiently waiting for Ruth to come home so that she could hear what happened with her working in Bo’s field. When Ruth began to tell her, she was so excited  and began to tell Ruth about her plan.  Naomi once again begins to tell Ruth that Bo is one of their closest relatives and in their country they have a custom that if a woman is a widow without children then the closest relative can marry her and carry on the family name. “Now go back and work for him until the end of the barley harvest and then we shall see what we shall see.” So Ruth did, and the time came when it was close to the end of the harvest, when Naomi tells Ruth her total plan.  She tells her that Bo will be working tonight, so get yourself all dressed in your finest, and wait for him. When he is finished eating and drinking, this is what you do. She tells her to wait till he goes to sleep, then go to him and uncover his feet and lie down there. Ruth, a little surprised by what Naomi was telling her to do, but she still did exactly what her mother-in-law told her to do. That night she looked upon Bo as he ate and drank and was having a good time with the other guys. Then when he fell asleep, she quietly came up to him and laid down at his feet and covered herself with his blanket.  In the middle of the night Bo was so startled that he jumped up when he felt something at his feet. He said, “Who are you and what are you doing here?” Ruth was also startled when he jumped up and she said in a very scared voice, “I am Ruth.” So Bo covered her with the blanket and said, “Don’t be afraid Ruth, you have shown great kindness once again for the sake of your mother-in-law.” Bo knew what it was all about  and he knew that Ruth was a foreigner and still he agreed to marry Ruth for the sake of Naomi. In the morning Bo sent Ruth home with food for her and Naomi and when Naomi saw Ruth coming down the road, Naomi ran to greet her. She asked, “How did it go my daughter?” Ruth told her and showed her all of the food that Bo sent home with her. That day Bo made all the arrangements to marry Ruth. So the day came for the wedding and everyone gave them their blessings and not only to the happy couple, but to Naomi, for she no longer had to worry about how she would live and take care of herself. God was faithful, to Naomi and to Ruth. Well, the blessings just kept coming and one day a child was born and Naomi who had lost both sons, now was blessed with a grandson and they named him Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse, who became the father of David, who became king and one day the King of Kings will sit on David’s throne.

No one knows where life will take them, but we do know that when we do the right thing in life,God blesses it. Ruth did not abandon her mother-in-law,  even though she had to leave her country and her people, and embrace Naomi’s way of life. Naomi was a woman of faith, and she set the example for Ruth to follow.  Ruth could see that Naomi’s God was the one true God  and that Naomi was a righteous person. 

So the question is, are you setting an example for people to see, that you believe in the one true God?

Are you living a life that glorifies God?

Are you loyal like Ruth to the ones that care about you?

When you are with your friends do  you act differently than you do at home?

God blesses faithfulness and he rewards those who are not afraid to be an example of righteousness and godliness.

Let’s pray,  Father, teach us to be people of integrity and loyal to those who are older than us. Let us show honor to those who deserve honor. Let us give to those in need. Father God we ask You today to give us the courage to stand for You. Let us be that example to others, so that we may reflect You.  Let our light shine, so that people will be drawn to the Light of Life, which is in You.

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There is probably no other verse in the scriptures than Ecclesiastes 3:1-6, that is so popular even in the secular realm.  The song “Turn, Turn, Turn (There is a Season) became one of the rally songs of the Vietnam War in the 1960’s. It was a song of protest and had very little to do with its Biblical contexts.We want to take a closer look at  Ecclesiastes 3:1-6 and put it back to its Biblical roots. King Solomon writes: “There is a time for everything,  and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die,  a time to plant and a time to uproot,  a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,  a time to tear and a time to mend,  a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate,  a time for war and a time for peace.” God is the Creator of time. Genesis 1:3-5 tells us, “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” You see here that God called the light day and the darkness night Genesis 1:14-19 goes on to say, “And God said, Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.  God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth,  to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.” So God divided the days and months and  the years. He created the seasons, which were for planting and harvesting. When it comes to being born and dying again we see that God determines both Job tells us in Job 14:5, “A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.” The Psalmist writes in Psalm 39:4-6,  “LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.  You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude  We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.”

I could go on and on with scriptures that tell us the same thing, that God knew us before we were born. He has written every day of our lives. Yes, God even tells us when we should laugh and when we should mourn. Romans 12:15,  “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” James 4:8-9, “Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom.” Ecclesiastes 7:1-5,  “A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone;  the living should take this to heart. Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person   than to listen to the song of fools.”

God ordains everything in our lives.   Isaiah 45:7, “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.” God even brings down one nation and raises another or He will raise one king up and bring down another. Psalm 75:6-7,  “For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation; But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.”

Dan 2:20-21 “May the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the periods; He removes kings and appoints kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to people of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.”

1 Samuel 30: 8-9,  “And David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this band of raiders? Will I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue everyone.”  So David left, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where some who were left behind stayed.”

Even in a time of war we see God determines when it is right to advance. So we have seen that when it comes to times and events in our lives it is God who brings all things about so we should seek God regarding everything in life.

Proverb 3:5-6 tells us,  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Matthew 7:7-8,  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

God created time and He created the seasons and, yes, to everything there is a time and to everything there is a season and God determines them both.