“THE LORD GAVE HER CONCEPTION!”

 

Ruth 4:13-17                 (ESV)

Ruth and Boaz Marry

“[13] So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and “THE LORD GAVE HER CONCEPTION”, and she bore a son. [14] Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! [15] He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” [16] Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. [17] And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, THE FATHER OF DAVID.”

Can you fathom how Ruth would become “written” in the lineage of JESUS when she was married to her first husband, Mahlon?  Yet, through GODS DIVINE PLAN, she is listed in Scripture (Matthew 1:5) as part of the ancestral family of CHRIST (Matthew 1:16)!  

As you are probably aware, Ruth was on a PATH of almost destitution, having to “glean” from the “left behinds” for Naomi (her mother-in-law) after their husbands had died.  Naomi had instructed Ruth and Orpah (Ruth’s sister-in-law) to return to their own families and leave her to figure out how to make it on her own?  Ruth 1:14 states that “And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth “clung to her””, giving an indication that her future was with Naomi.  

We also read in the short book of Ruth how she was BLESSED to be sent to a field to gather leftovers behind the harvesters.  It is NO COINCIDENCE that the field was owned by Boaz, an acquaintance of Naomi, and a wealthy man.  Boaz had Ruth placed in a field away from others where her work would provide food for her and Naomi.  When Boaz SAW her BEAUTY and WORK ETHIC, her married her and she had a son soon afterwards!  She was the great-grandmother of King David, a man after GODS OWN HEART!!!

Could Boaz have known that he would be the great-grandfather of the King of Israel at the time of his assisting Ruth?  Israel didn’t even have a king at the time!  Not only was King David their great-grandson, but the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD would also be listed in their lineage!  

Certainly Ruth could not have known that her remaining loyal to Naomi would be used to bring the SAVIOR to mankind?  Her past gave NO INDICATION how GOD was going to use her for HIS GLORY?  But “THE LORD GAVE HER CONCEPTION” and HIS PLAN WAS WRITTEN!!!  GOD USES THE WEAK TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PLAN!!  That is how “THE LORD GAVE HER CONCEPTION”!!!

“HUMILITY COMES BEFORE HONOR!”

 Proverbs 18:12                (ESV)

    “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty,

        but “HUMILITY COMES BEFORE HONOR”.”

To say that HUMILITY is easy to achieve is a monumental statement!  Directly following the Brain Hemorrhage I was EXTREMELY HUMBLE!  I am unable to completely verbalize my mindset, but when you have been SO CLOSE to death, it is VERY EYE-OPENING!

Getting “back to normal” can be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing, especially IF the lesson learned is waxed over.  Remembering the three weeks in the Rehabilitation Hospital can reset my compass very quickly.  I lost almost ALL of my pride and dignity as my own vulnerability was extremely evident.  

When a person has been where I have been it is NOT something that is very easy to wipe out of their mind!  But when you don’t have most of the  “deficits” from the Brain Injury, it can be awfully easy to become proud and forgetful of where you have been?  

FATHER IN HEAVEN, cause this servant to constantly remember that “HUMILITY COMES BEFORE HONOR”!  My EYES have been OPENED to SEE where I could be today WITHOUT YOUR GRACE!!!

“HUMILITY COMES BEFORE HONOR!”

 Proverbs 18:12                (ESV)

    “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty,

        but HUMILITY COMES BEFORE HONOR.”

From Bishop Robert E Smith

 From Bishop Robert E. Smith!

“The old man is crucified (Rom. 6:6), the natural man petrified (1 Cor. 2:14), the new man spiritualized (1 Cor. 2:15), and the heavenly man glorified (John 12:16;13:31).  Where are you? (Rom. 8:30).”

“I WILL BRING YOU BACK!”

 

Jeremiah 29:11-14.                (ESV)

“[11] For I know THE PLANS I have for you, declares the LORD, PLANS FOR WELFARE and not for evil, to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE. [12] THEN you will call upon ME and come and pray to ME, and I WILL HEAR YOU. [13] YOU WILL SEEK ME and FIND ME, WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART. [14] I WILL BE FOUND BY YOU, declares the LORD, and I WILL RESTORE your fortunes and gather you from ALL THE NATIONS and all the places where I HAVE DRIVEN YOU, declares the LORD, and “I WILL BRING YOU BACK” to the place from which I sent you into exile.”

There are times when I wake up and IMMEDIATELY open my cellular phone and begin looking at emails and social media in a supposed effort to keep “in-touch” with everything that is going on in today’s society.  I am NOT that important, so why do I need to find out what is transpiring in “my world”???  Could it be that “the enemy” is trying to cloud my mind with whatever he can that will prevent me from “getting a WORD from THE LORD”???

This morning I really tried to get “into” THE WORD, but my wife was getting ready for work and I was having trouble just BEING STILL and hearing from GOD!  Then I recalled Jeremiah 29:13 which says “YOU WILL SEEK ME and FIND ME, WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART”!!!  THERE are times when this Brain Damaged person has difficulty LETTING GO and hearing from THE CREATOR!  “The enemy” dangles a myriad of “things’ in front of me in an effort to “cloud my vision” and prevent me from ACCESSING THE THRONE OF GOD!!!  

So I opened the Scriptures to Jeremiah 29 and was led to write about verses 11-14.  When I was skimming over the Scriptures, I was “drawn to” the passage “I WILL BRING YOU BACK”!  If was as if GOD was telling me that “I WILL BRING YOU BACK” to a place where HE WOULD BE GLORIFIED!  I have been “matured” by HIM to the point where notoriety has faded away and JESUS BEING GLORIFIED is more important to me!

King David wrote in Psalm 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have NOT SEEN the righteous forsaken or HIS children begging for bread.”  I have SEEN some pretty desolate times, and I have experienced some GLORIOUS experiences!  But to UNDERSTAND that THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES says that “I WILL (DEFINITELY) BRING YOU BACK” is a PROMISE that I will thoroughly enjoy accepting!!!

“I WILL NOT FORGET YOU!”

 Isaiah 49:14-16                 (ESV)

    “[14] But Zion said, “THE LORD HAS FORSAKEN ME;

        my LORD HAS FORGOTTEN ME.

     [15] “Can a woman forget her nursing child,

        that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?

    Even these may forget,

        yet “I WILL NOT FORGET YOU”. 

    [16] Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of MY HANDS;

        your walls are CONTINUALLY BEFORE ME.”

There are numerous times in my life where I feel as though I am ALL ALONE!!  There “appears to be” NO ONE helping me with the troubles that I face!  I feel as though I don’t have anyone helping me with an answer to the situation that I have fought so hard to get through.  

A “perfect” example of how I managed to “get myself” through the most difficult situation I have ever experienced is the Brain Hemorrhage of 2007.  GOD placed me in an induced coma for seventeen days where I had NO ABILITY to do anything (including breathing) ON MY OWN!!!  It was ONLY THEN that HE could GET THE GLORY without my intervention and sharing HIS GLORY!!!

There is a saying that quotes “Those who leave everything in GOD’S HANDS will eventually see GOD’S HANDS in everything”!  When the ALMIGHTY is the ONLY PERSON WHO is ABLE to KEEP us, it is usually THEN  that HE WILL DO A MIRACLE!!!  Many times I have shared what my doctor wrote in my medical records on September 25, 2007, “However, he has had a remarkable recovery that could ONLY BE DEFINED AS A MIRACLE FROM GOD”!!!

Seeing the WORDS “I WILL NOT FORGET YOU” spoken by THE LORD to Isaiah is something that I HAVE TO BE REMINDED OF, even after what HE HAS BROUGHT me through!  No matter how bleak and hopeless my situation becomes, I have to be reminded that “I WILL NOT FORGET YOU” is a PROMISE that I must ALWAYS REMEMBER!!!

“THE LORD HEARS!”

 Psalm 34:17-18                 (ESV)

    “[17] When the righteous cry for help, “THE LORD HEARS”

        and delivers them out of all their troubles. 

    [18] The LORD is near TO THE BROKENHEARTED and saves THE CRUSHED in spirit.”