Today, I am taking a leaf out the book of my Preacher Husband.
No, I am not planning an alliterated sermon!
He would say, when studying through a book, that you cannot possibly deal with every little detail. So, in like manner, I am jumping on through the book a little, to part way down chapter 2.
There are a lot of little golden nuggets, on the way to the verse that struck me.
We see Ruth's willingness to work.
We see the kindness and generosity of Boaz.
But, the words that struck me were these...
No, I am not planning an alliterated sermon!
He would say, when studying through a book, that you cannot possibly deal with every little detail. So, in like manner, I am jumping on through the book a little, to part way down chapter 2.
There are a lot of little golden nuggets, on the way to the verse that struck me.
We see Ruth's willingness to work.
We see the kindness and generosity of Boaz.
But, the words that struck me were these...
"under whose wings thou art come to trust."
Ruth 2:12
The Bible is SUCH a wonderful book, packed full of wonderful pictures that illustrate the character of God.
This picture really struck a cord in my heart. It conjures up such a beautiful picture - a picture of security, of safety, of refuge of comfort.
Th dictionary defintion of "trust", is this...
This picture really struck a cord in my heart. It conjures up such a beautiful picture - a picture of security, of safety, of refuge of comfort.
Th dictionary defintion of "trust", is this...
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Obviously, in our lives, that is in GOD.
Ruth firmly believed that God was all truth - that he was reliable, able and strong. And so, she packed up and went to Bethlehem with Naomi.
She didn't presume that she would have things work out the way they did...in fact, when you consider that she was married for 10 years before her husband died, she wasn't even young and typically "eligible".
She simply knew that God was the one, true God and she needed to put her trust in Him.
And, how was her trust evidenced?...by her actions. She travelled away from her home land - she helped to support Naomi - she went out and found work in a foreign land, where she would have been considered an outsider, and potentially rejected by the maidens around her.
She didn't hide away in her home - she trusted God, and His perfect plan for her.
It all sounds so simple on the surface, but just today, my trust is being tested.
My baby has been flipping between travsverse, oblique, the odd moment in the correct presentation, and now I am fairly sure that the baby is breech. At nearly 39 weeks.
I am going to be honest, here. I am finding it realllllllly hard to trust. I am finding it incredibly difficult not to panic and worry...about potential dangers of going into labour with the baby in the wrong position, OR (my biggest "fear") of having to have another c-section.
It's so easy, humanly speaking, to see only the problems...only see the fears...and the struggles. I *know* how hard recovery is, following a c-section, and it's not my idea of fun.... the issues beyond that just crowd my mind.
But Ruth...dear, precious Ruth. She had so much peaceful trust, that others could see it evidenced in her life. She didn't just "talk the talk" - she "walked the walk".
Ultimately, she was saying "thy will be done".
When we are trusting ourselves to be under the Lord's wings, we are placing ourselves in a place that He has complete control. We are CHOOSING to leave behind any protection that we can provide for ourselves, and trust ONLY in His will and guidance.
It shouldn't be a hard choice, really.
I mean, who wouldn't choose to be in the safety and comfort of that place where you rely totally upon God's protection?
But the flesh wants to fight. So, today, I need to leave my flesh behind, and run into that place of trust, and safety. I need to place my concerns into God's hands, and leave them there.
Let me clarify...I am not going to leave aside the wisdom that God has given us...I will try and do the things which have been shown to turn a baby...I WILL contact my midwife and chat through the options.
But, that's not the main issue...it's the trust. It's the peace that comes from the knowledge that whatever happens, it's what God wants, because He has me under His wings. That I cannot come to harm when His protection is upon me...no matter how it may seem humanly speaking.
It's a hard lesson.
It's a vital lesson.
I didn't mean my lesson from Ruth to become all about me. I'm sorry! *wry grin* But, this was the verse the Lord laid on my heart over a week ago, waaaaaay before this baby started the shenanigans. If I can't apply the matter of trust in THIS situation, then when can I?
There are so many other verses that speak about this picture, of us being in the safety of God's "wings". Robert even read one in his scripture reading at Church last night!
So, I will leave you (and myself) to mull over these following verses. If there is an area that you are struggling with, in placing your trust entirely in the Lord, then I pray that you, too, will run to Christ, and place all your worries in His hands, and rest in peace "under His wings".
Ruth firmly believed that God was all truth - that he was reliable, able and strong. And so, she packed up and went to Bethlehem with Naomi.
She didn't presume that she would have things work out the way they did...in fact, when you consider that she was married for 10 years before her husband died, she wasn't even young and typically "eligible".
She simply knew that God was the one, true God and she needed to put her trust in Him.
And, how was her trust evidenced?...by her actions. She travelled away from her home land - she helped to support Naomi - she went out and found work in a foreign land, where she would have been considered an outsider, and potentially rejected by the maidens around her.
She didn't hide away in her home - she trusted God, and His perfect plan for her.
It all sounds so simple on the surface, but just today, my trust is being tested.
My baby has been flipping between travsverse, oblique, the odd moment in the correct presentation, and now I am fairly sure that the baby is breech. At nearly 39 weeks.
I am going to be honest, here. I am finding it realllllllly hard to trust. I am finding it incredibly difficult not to panic and worry...about potential dangers of going into labour with the baby in the wrong position, OR (my biggest "fear") of having to have another c-section.
It's so easy, humanly speaking, to see only the problems...only see the fears...and the struggles. I *know* how hard recovery is, following a c-section, and it's not my idea of fun.... the issues beyond that just crowd my mind.
But Ruth...dear, precious Ruth. She had so much peaceful trust, that others could see it evidenced in her life. She didn't just "talk the talk" - she "walked the walk".
Ultimately, she was saying "thy will be done".
When we are trusting ourselves to be under the Lord's wings, we are placing ourselves in a place that He has complete control. We are CHOOSING to leave behind any protection that we can provide for ourselves, and trust ONLY in His will and guidance.
It shouldn't be a hard choice, really.
I mean, who wouldn't choose to be in the safety and comfort of that place where you rely totally upon God's protection?
But the flesh wants to fight. So, today, I need to leave my flesh behind, and run into that place of trust, and safety. I need to place my concerns into God's hands, and leave them there.
Let me clarify...I am not going to leave aside the wisdom that God has given us...I will try and do the things which have been shown to turn a baby...I WILL contact my midwife and chat through the options.
But, that's not the main issue...it's the trust. It's the peace that comes from the knowledge that whatever happens, it's what God wants, because He has me under His wings. That I cannot come to harm when His protection is upon me...no matter how it may seem humanly speaking.
It's a hard lesson.
It's a vital lesson.
I didn't mean my lesson from Ruth to become all about me. I'm sorry! *wry grin* But, this was the verse the Lord laid on my heart over a week ago, waaaaaay before this baby started the shenanigans. If I can't apply the matter of trust in THIS situation, then when can I?
There are so many other verses that speak about this picture, of us being in the safety of God's "wings". Robert even read one in his scripture reading at Church last night!
So, I will leave you (and myself) to mull over these following verses. If there is an area that you are struggling with, in placing your trust entirely in the Lord, then I pray that you, too, will run to Christ, and place all your worries in His hands, and rest in peace "under His wings".
"As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:"
Deuteronomy 32:11
"hide me under the shadow of thy wings,"
Psalm 17:8
"for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge"
Psalm 57:1
"I will trust in the covert of thy wings."
Psalm 61:4
"Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice."
Psalm 63:7
"He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:"
Psalm 91:4
'I trust Him' .... easy words to say. Easy to sing. But hard, hard, hard to put into practice when 'our way' seems so much better than what may be going to happen.
ReplyDeletePraying that you have peace. 'He does ALL things well' ... x