DEVOTIONAL: Going boldly to the Throne

By Leila Halawe 

One of my favorite books in the Bible is the book of Ruth. we all know the story; Ruth loses her husband and needs to make a choice between staying with her mother-in-law, Naomi, or walking away like her sister-in-law and starting a new life. Ruth decides to stay with her mother-in-law and journeys back with Naomi to her homeland of Bethlehem where she meets Boaz and gets married and starts her happily ever after. It's a beautiful story of loyalty and love but the more I read it, the more I see it's a story of courage. Specifically, Ruth's courage to step out in faith. 

After being back in Bethlehem for a while, Naomi comes up with a plan to get Ruth married to Boaz. She instructs her make it known to him that she is available for marriage by going Boaz while he sleeping and lay herself at his feet. Literally. I don't know about you but the thought of walking up to a man and laying at his feet to let him know that I am available for marriage doesn't sit that well with me. It's the equivalent of going up to a long distant relative and letting them know in no uncertain terms that you are available for marriage and that you want them to marry you. Yet, that is exactly what Ruth did. 

I would imagine there was some hesitation on Ruth’s part at going to Boaz and making her intentions knows, especially as there had been no real relationship between the two of them. She was putting herself out there not knowing if Boaz would actually redeem her. She was putting her reputation, her self-respect and heart on the line by laying at his feet because the truth is that he could very well have rejected her. They assumed he was a decent man based on his reputation and what they had seen of him, but really, they couldn't have been sure they would get the outcome they wanted. Ruth had no guarantee that he would step up and redeem her, so she was really taking a really bold step of faith by going to him. That level of boldness takes courage. A lot of courage. But the more we read about the Ruth, the more courage we see, and we really see it in chapter 3, when Boaz wakes up to find her at his feet, 

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.” (Ruth 3:9)

Not only does Ruth lay herself at his feet and wait patiently for him to wake up and find her, when asked, she tells him exactly what she needs and wants. Her actions, both spoken and unspoken, were a way of saying, 'I need protection and coverage. I need provision and you can provide that, so please provide it.' Personally, I struggle to ask for help when I need it, yet we see Ruth put aside all fear and pride and nerves to speak out what she needs. Ruth sets a great example of being bold and taking a leap of faith. She took her requests to the one that she believed could redeem her and provide for her. She lay at his feet and poured out her requests. She didn’t hold back or side step what she really wanted; she was bold and spoke out exactly what it is that she wanted. Fearlessly. Courageously. And we can do the same today.

Recognising our need for provision and protection takes courage. Speaking it out takes more courage. We are taught to ‘put on a brave face.’ To not show weakness. We live in a world where meekness is seen as weakness yet, it takes a lot of courage to search your own heart and uncover what you really want and need, then to go and ask for it. Like Ruth, we have a Redeemer that can and will provide for us but the difference is that we know our Redeemer will answer our call. We know he will answer our prayer because we have a Savior that invites us to share our heart with Him. He tore the veil so that we would have complete access to Him and freely go to His Throne and pour out our heart.  

Will He always answer with a ‘yes’? No, He won’t, but sometimes the best yes we can get is a no. And just because we have no guarantee that He will give us exactly what we want, it doesn’t mean we can’t ask. It doesn’t mean that we can’t dream big and dream of being world changers and light bearers for His Kingdom. Our Redeemer is the King of Kings and the Lord of the impossible, so nothing we ask is too hard for Him. He knows what is best for us, so we can be confident that His provision will far exceed anything we can possible imagine.  

Today, can I encourage us to be dreamers. Can I encourage us to be people that think big and dream bigger. And can I encourage us to boldly step up to His Throne, lay at His feet and ask for what it is our heart desires; big or small, crazy or impossible, let us go to Him knowing that the One that redeemed us by His blood has His arms wide open waiting to embrace us. 

Leila (Lays) Halawe is a Sydney based coffee loving nonfiction writer and blogger. She has published a short devotional, Love By Devotion, and shares her views on life and faith via her blog page Looking In. You can connect with her via Facebook at Leila Halawe Author and via Twitter at Leila Halawe.

Bitter? Or Better?~ by Shirley Corder

"Don't call me Naomi (pleasant)," Naomi said sharply. "Call me Mara (bitter)."

For those of you who don't know this lady well, you'll find her story in the book of Ruth in the Old Testament.

Naomi's husband, Elimelech, took her and their two sickly sons, away from Bethlehem to the country of Moab. While living there, first Naomi's husband died, then both her sons. 

Naomi eventually returned to Bethlehem accompanied by Ruth, her daughter-in-law, the one after whom the Bible book is named.

I found it intriguing that the book was called Ruth. After all, the opening verse, Ruth 1:1, mentions Naomi. Ruth only enters the picture years later. And the story ends with Naomi as she receives her newborn grandson. In between we have the tender love story of two unlikely characters. 

We have Ruth, the Moabitess, a widow whose only means of an income involved walking behind the reapers in the fields, picking up the stalks they dropped on the ground. And we have Boaz, a rich landowner considerably older than Ruth, who was highly esteemed in the little town of Bethlehem. The couple fall in love and . . . but you must read it for yourself! It's a lovely story. 

We soon see Naomi to be a courageous woman who faces some difficult decisions. Our first impressions are of a spunky lady who copes well with all the tragedy that is seemingly thrown at her. Yet in the words above we catch a glimmer of how depression stalks her life. She becomes bitter in her heart. Bitter against God. Despite her emotional low, Naomi never allows it to turn her from her God, and gradually she begins to see His hand at work in her life. 

As I pondered the life of this Israeli woman and all she went through, I found myself drawn into her story. Despite all she went through,and her brief spell of depression, Naomi clung to God, even when she didn't feel His love. She rose beyond her hardships to play an important role in the ancestry of King David, and ultimately of Jesus Christ.

Are you facing a difficult period in your life right now? Are things threatening to get you down? Have you recently lost someone special from your life? I urge you to tell God how you feel. Don't try to live behind a mask. Be honest with Him, and trust Him to bring you through. You can allow your hard times to make you bitter, or you can rise above the bitterness and become better.  

Make sure that no one misses out on God’s wonderful kindness. Don’t let anyone become bitter and cause trouble for the rest of you Hebrews 12:15 CEV.

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast of South Africa with her husband, Rob. She has recently embarked on a series of eBooks titled, Out of the Shadow. Book 1 is Naomi, Beloved Mother-in-Law. 

Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on her time in the cancer valley.

Sign up here to receive a short devotional message from Shirley in your inbox once a week.

Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, or at  RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook.  

DEVOTION: What's In A Name? ~ by Judith Robl

Focus verses:

Ruth 1:6-18

The story is that Naomi and Elimelech went to Moab with their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, during a famine in Judah. And the sons took wives named Orpah and Ruth.

Translating the names into their respective meanings we get: “MyDelight and MyGodIsKing went to Moab with their two sons, Sickly and Pining, during a famine in Judah. And the sons took wives named Gazelle and Friendship.

During their stay in Moab, MyGodIsKing died. And later both Sickly and Pining died as well. So MyDelight and Gazelle and Friendship were left as widows.

MyDelight decided to return to Judah, the home of her God. Both Gazelle and Friendship started back with her, but MyDelight told them to return to their homes in Moab. Gazelle did go back home (to her old gods), but Friendship had tasted the world of MyDelight’s God and would not leave.

She loved MyDelight and the ways of MyDelight’s God. She would not leave MyDelight’s side.

When we cultivate a friendship with God, nothing can induce us to leave that friendship. We can leave all that we ever knew to be close to God. We cannot pine for what is behind us. We only go on with God.

Whatever is in our past that is not of God deserves to be left behind without regret, without remembrance.

Father, God,
Help us to go on with You, leaving all else behind. Let us not be pulled back into our old ways and old habits.
In Jesus most precious name.
Amen.

JUDITH ROBL is the founder of Reflected Light Ministries and speaks to women’s groups about prayer, forgiveness, and drawing closer to God. Trained as a secondary level English teacher, Judith has a heart for mentoring. She and her husband, Martin, have been married fifty years and have four children who have presented them with nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Her book, As Grandma Says, is a devotional gift book, incorporating her grandmother's adages with an appropriate scripture, a pertinent life lesson, and a word of prayer. Visit her at her website or on Facebook.