Today we start this 3 part journey to really recognise, know and celebrate what we have in our hand and the gems Holy Spirit has for us during these 3 parts. that the Lord over the past few week keeps taking me back to a story in the bible. Simply to RE CENTRE, REFOCUS and MOVE my perspective from lack and of loss, the loss of what I can see or think, to shift to His Perspective instead, to consider the bigger picture of Provision that holds a greater promise beside me or in my hand.
This story is the one of Ruth, I suggest you read through the entire book, which is one of the Challenges set. I’ll paraphrase chapter 1, where we see a woman named Naomi which means “pleasant on, above all, and beauty” who starts out with her husband and two sons on a journey to the country of Moab. As there was a great famine in Bethlehem their land. Naomi’s sons each find wives and get married. Then her husband dies, followed by her two sons. Wow this must have been tough right?
It is here Naomi learns things are better in her home town Bethlehem, so she chooses to return. One daughter in law chooses to go back to her land and family, and one does not, her name is Ruth she feels she must go with Naomi. This is the spot where we see a verse often quoted at marriages
But Ruth said:
“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The LORD do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.” Ruth 1:16
Wow what beautiful words, and I guess, these are the words the Lord is waiting for us to say and do to Him. So when Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking ‘turn back’ to her and they returned to Naomi’s home land.
Let’s pick up the story in verse 19-22
“Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest”.
Did Naomi really come back with less than when she left her land?
Yes she did come back without a husband and her two sons, but what did she have with her and could it be that what she came back with was actually more than she left with, and much more important than a husband and two sons? Hmm pause there.
How often have we been at this point in our lives? Where we are declaring from our perspective, where we think we are, notice it’s where we think we are? Also what about the times we have spoken words similar to Naomi around family, business or ministry in the past few days, weeks, or months, due to the lockdowns and pandemics? Hmm selah there.
It’s super interesting that through some amazing turn of events which, we’ll call BUT GOD, and from the leading of Naomi especially around culture Ruth gets married to Boaz, an incredible man.
Next time, this is where we pick up things in chapter 4:13, can’t wait and send in what the Lord is saying and revealing to you His son or daughter.
Challenge time: Be with the Lord and record His answers to you, and questions that come up.
1. Read the story of Ruth and let Holy Spirit speak to you through it and high light truths for you, record them.
2. Lord You have permission, to show me where I need a recentre, refocus, move in my perspective to Your perspective?
3. Thank Holy Spirit and now you have a choice, do you want to keep His perspective or yours? Declare it now to Him, you have the words, trust Him to lead you.
4. Worship Him, put on your praise music and declare who Your God is and see the atmosphere shift as His Presence invades.
Father God, thank You for Your Perspective in every area of our lives, in how we see ourselves, our loved ones, family, ministry, community, government, country. Let us put on the Eyes of Christ and see as Jesus does. Hallelujah, in Jesus name. Amen.
Craig and Winnie Patten.
Itinerate Pastor/Apostolic Leader.
Encounter Ministries
