Ruth

I have been reading Ruth this past week and using Ian Dugid's Reformed Expository Commentary as help. This book was another gift given to the Pastor's wives at the Leader's Conference. I have throughly enjoyed his insights into the book of Ruth! It is often humbling to read a commentary and see how much I miss on my own! I'm so thankful for men like Ian, who can share their years of study on the word with others like me.

I sadly can often doubt that God will meet my daily needs for grace and endurance in parenting. I can turn to people and things other the the Lord to get me through a day. I can allow myself to think " I just need a nap, or I just need Chris' help... or anyone's help!" I was encouraged by Ian's words this morning that it is only God who can meet my daily needs and that HE has meet my greatest need in Jesus!

"The cost for Naomi and Ruth to have their deepest need supplied was for Jesus-the ever-living One-to taste death in their place. The cost for us to have our deepest need met, our need for salvation, was for the Sinless One to be made sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteous of God (2 Cor. 5:21)

"Is your heart constantly ignited by the glorious grace and covenant faithfulness of God? We should trust in Christ alone for our daily bread instead of wandering off to search for crumbs in the field of another. The temptation is real for us to doubt his good provision for our needs and to look to ourselves or to others to provide for us. We are easily cast into despair and bitterness when we find ourselves scraping the bottom of life's barrel, and we turn our backs on the bread of life in favor of bread that will not satisfy.... if we fix our eyes on the glorious grace of God, and his costly answer for our deepest need, then we will not so quickly doubt that he will meet all of our other needs. Since the Lord has shown us this covenant faithfulness, will he not order all things well in our lives? In sickness or in health, in poverty or in riches, for better or for worse.. all of these conditions come to us as part of His perfect plan for us and must in some way work for our blessing!"