God your amazing!

       

       The Bible, a set of testaments to God's plan, will, guidance, teaching, rebuking, challenging, and drawing people to himself. How amazing. I have read the Bible through a few times just as a practice but as I sit and study and connect my brain to the stories, and study with other wonderful women of God, He has been showing me just how much he is in control. In BSF this year we are studying the Israelite people and how God leads them through Joshua- Kings. We just read about Rahab a prostitute who believed in God and His power and her family was saved. Joshua's unquestioning obedience to God even through the most difficult of directions. And we just finished through Ruth and her direct faith growth in God as she left all to go on a dangerous journey with her mother- in law to fulfill God's plan for her. All of these people were part of this testament this old testament plan, but what God has given me is a broader view of these stories.

          Rahab, a prostitute a non-Israelite, redeemed to be saved and become the mother of Boaz. Naomi, a believer, and Moabite, who lost her husband and sons then travels to Bethlehem in search of a home in giving God the glory and in search of a kinsman redeemer. Ruth, a Moabite- whose heritage had a bad history with Israel due to worshiping other gods etc, came alongside her on this journey leaving her godless homeland and family to seek this God of Naomi only to find true freedom and redemption through God. Ruth and Naomi's redemption was brought through a kinsman- redeemer. The law stated that if a wife lost her husband and was left without a son she could marry a brother or closest kin to finish this bloodline and redeem what is the families heritage or land. (foreshadowing Jesus, our kinsman redeemer who took our place to redeem our sin). Boaz was not the first kinsman redeemer for them he was second in line, yet God knew that Boaz, a wonderful businessman who loved Him would be apart of a larger story.  Thus the land and marriage to Ruth were given to him instead of the next of kin. How amazing- this story could have had a different ending but God chose Boaz and Ruth to be set apart in His story of Love. These people being used by God for his purpose were chosen to be in the bloodline of Jesus. Rahab's son was Boaz who married Ruth and had Obed who fathered Jesse who was the father of King David (Check out Ruth 4:18-22 and Matthew 1). How much love and power does God have to use what we consider unvirtuous and lowly to show His redemption and power leading up to them in the most important lineage to date, leading to his Son Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

     How much more will he use us, Jew or Gentile, in His Power and His Way to bring about His Plan for us if we just trust and obey?  It is as simple as that Trust and Obey. We make this hard by overanalyzing and trying to decipher God's plan. If we get in the Word of God and let that renew our minds how much easier will it be to Trust and Obey what God is so eagerly having for us to do. Let's do this together to allow our stories of redemption to be written in God's Time.